Did Meghan and Harry turn Montecito, CA into to a lawless hell?

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle made the move from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara in July, and settled into a $14.65 million Montecito mansion, which offers far more privacy and seclusion than their temporary Beverly Hills residence. However, what Montecito residents are finding out about their new neighbors, the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, is wherever they go, tourists, helicopters, & paparazzi follow.

Surrounding circus

In their short tenure as The Sussexes, Meghan Markle and the former Prince Harry have gathered around them quite a mixed–bag of paparazzi, helicopter pilots, attack drones, and high–speed chase stunt people. This merry band of misfits was easier to ignore when the couple was jet setting around the world, but after the couple moved to Santa Barbara, their neighbors are up in arms.

TMZ reports that Montecito, California, the sunny seaside enclave of the worst millionaires you know, is being riven asunder by its newest denizens. Sources claim that the skies have been overrun with the sounds of helicopters since the two rolled into town with their chaos parade, with paparazzi prowling the streets alongside desperate, coronavirus–mad tourists who think they might get a quick peek at the pair.

Harry & Meghan haven’t even been seen in public, but their mere presence is driving folks wild. The scene on the ground is pretty hectic, especially for an affluent area that’s supposed to be an enclave for celebs looking to escape the limelight – choppers are zooming over Harry & Meghan’s neighborhood, sometimes four times a day, and paparazzi are staking out their home, and a nearby shopping center.

Home sweet home

The Duke & Duchess of Sussex moved to Montecito in early July, after spending the previous few months at Tyler Perry’s mansion in Beverly Hills. It seems Prince Harry & Meghan weren’t always planning on leaving Los Angeles for Santa Barbara, though, as they wanted to give Meghan’s hometown a real chance upon their big move to California.

But Prince Harry just wasn’t feeling the Los Angeles life, and according to Us Weekly, he “absolutely hated” living there. While Prince Harry & Meghan wanted to “give Los Angeles a shot” after they relocated to the U.S. from Canada, the Duke of Sussex didn’t enjoy living in the city.

Housebound heebie-jeebies

The timing was a big issue for Prince Harry, as the Sussexes moved to California in March, right as the coronavirus pandemic was intensifying. The Sussexes were pretty much immediately on lockdown upon their arrival to Los Angeles, so it’s not unimaginable that Prince Harry might have had some trouble adapting to his new home.

Harry reportedly had a bit of “cabin fever” due to the lockdown, and in April, the Sussexes’ friend Dr. Jane Goodall said in a radio interview that she thought the Prince was “finding life a bit challenging right now,” as he was having some trouble adjusting to Los Angeles.

Away from the madding crowd

There were also major privacy concerns, as Prince Harry & Meghan had serious issues with paparazzi almost right away. Paparazzi used aggressive tactics, including illegal drones, in their attempts to snap photos of the Duke & Duchess of Sussex playing outside at their home with their son, Archie. The couple reported drone-related incidents to LAPD at least five times.

Montecito was a bit further from where they originally planned to live in Los Angeles, but it’s still only about an hour and a half drive from the city. Prince Harry & Meghan could easily drive into Los Angeles when they needed to for work or to visit friends, but their new Santa Barbara abode was considered to be far away from the crowds & cameras that were swarming around the couple in Los Angeles – but not anymore.