Having royalty live on your street ain’t all it’s cracked up to be according to Montecito residents. One Hollywood star in particular, Rob Lowe, has shared some inside knowledge on what it’s really like to live in the same neighborhood as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and it sounds like he’s far from happy.
OK so it’s not all bad, speaking about his neighbors the actor explained that there were certainly some upsides to having the Sussexes located just down the road. Lowe, who has been a longtime resident of the California town, claimed that the royal couple’s arrival had helped put the place on the map. The property prices had also seen a nice surge thanks to the newfound attention which certainly helps the residents already living there.
However, Harry and Meghan’s choice to settle in the once quiet town has led to some unexpected inconveniences for people like Lowe.
“The good news is property values go up, the bad news is the lines are longer at Starbucks.”
Living in the same town as Harry and Meghan also has its drawbacks
While the Sussexes may not like attention they attract it like moths to a flame wherever they go. As a result Montecito has seen a huge influx in tourists flocking to the area meaning Rob’s going to have to wait a little longer to get his morning caffeine fix. Of course, it’s not just that, the increase in traffic and more tourists in the town understandably have caused some frustration with the locals but it can’t be helped.
It’s not the end of the world and no doubt Lowe meant it as more of a tongue-in-cheek criticism of his royal neighbors but other Montecito residents have expressed grievances with the Sussexes in the past. In one instance locals blasted Meghan Markle for choosing to socialize with the Hollywood elites rather than the average residents of her town. According to one journalist the Duchess of Sussex rarely engages with the local community and is “practically invisible.”
Montecito residents have a unique opportunity to get an inside glimpse of the Sussex family life that most of us don’t have. While it’s interesting to hear what their neighbors really think of them it’s worth remembering Harry and Meghan are polarizing figures wherever they go. It seems they are always being criticized, perhaps unfairly, based on their ongoing feud with the royal family.
It’s hardly Harry and Meghan’s fault that tourists want to make the pilgrimage to Montecito just to be near them. What are they supposed to do? Live off the grid? This likely would have happened wherever the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had chosen to live, unfortunately for some locals in Montecito that means more attention is put on their once quiet town.
