Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Montecito Neighbors Give a Rare Look Into Their Lavish Daily Life
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023.
It has been over four years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decamped from the United Kingdom before creating their new life in Montecito, California.
The couple have not shied away from the public eye, keeping their supporters informed with tell-all interviews, a bombshell memoir and a revealing docuseries. But when it comes to their day-to-day family life, Meghan and Harry are doing their best to keep private.
With Harry’s 40th birthday rapidly approaching, insiders a reflecting on what his life looks like today and revealing never-before-heard details about his and Meghan’s Monecito lifestyle.
“Normally when you see him around here, he’s walking his Labrador on the beach or on his bicycle followed by his security in a Range Rover,” a neighbor tells The Telegraph. “They keep themselves to themselves. I haven’t seen Harry around much.”
Meghan, 43, is seemingly more public and is occasionally seen out and about at the farmer’s market or having lunch with friends. She is also said to have joined a group who meet to play mahjong – a traditional Chinese board game that is becoming increasingly popular and is described by its players as “the new book group.”
Harry’s day reportedly starts with a 30 to 40 minute scheduled meditation, he works out with personal trainers, occasionally bird-watches in his garden, he does the school run with son Archie, 5, and daughter Lilibet, 3.
While the couple are occasionally seen out to dinner with high-powered entrepreneurs — such as Meghan’s close friend and neighbor, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd — one local says they don’t mix with the residents too often.
“It’s a very wealthy community, we have a lot of people giving a lot of money to our cultural organizations as well as charities, but we don’t see them,” says Richard Mineards, a society columnist for the Montecito Journal who lives in the same exclusive community as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Riven Rock.
“We have got a lot of very rich and very famous people here, and none of them have a security retinue like the Sussexes,” he adds. “The community is waiting for them – they’re gnashing at the bit. The cachet of a Duke and Duchess!”
However, Meghan and Harry’s tendency to keep to themselves might be a deliberate tactic. In August, a source told Us Weekly that Harry “has a small [group] of close friends” and keeps his inner circle tight “understandable reasons.” Same goes for Meghan who “has a great group of friends who are all successful in their own ways who she really trusts,” a separate source revealed.
Harry is reportedly occasionally in touch with loved ones back home — just recently he stayed with his mother’s family during a visit to the UK — but Meghan and his children come first. Us Weekly’s first source said, “He’ll always be fond of his home country, but the way he views it, his wife and kids are his priority. If that means making sure they’re safe and happy in Montecito, then he supports that.”
