We’ll never be royals: the California town where Prince Harry and Meghan lived says goodbye

As the couple plans their return to the UK, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an end The bucolic coastal California town of Montecito was thrust into the limelight six years ago as the backdrop for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s second act following an acrimonious split from Buckingham Palace. But as the couple plans their return to the United Kingdom, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an end. To be clear, the well-to-do enclave near Santa Barbara is unlikely to lose its reputation as a hideout for celebrities – a respite from the paparazzi den that Los Angeles, about 90 miles (145km) south, can be. Oprah, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ellen DeGeneres, among other public figures, have all resided in the exclusive community. Prince Harry and Meghan, though, were arguably top contenders for Montecito’s most attention-grabbing residents. After news emerged that the couple had bought a $14.7m estate in the area, news helicopters and photographers swarmed in, to the annoyance of some neighbors. Reporters even clamored for intel on a local Facebook page, prompting a moderator to warn journalists in a 2020 post: “No one wil