Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly become a “laughing stock” among their neighbors in Montecito, California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living in their upscale Santa Barbara home since departing the Royal Family in 2020 and relocating to the US.
The couple has since settled into their luxury mansion alongside their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
However, reports suggest their neighbors have been “poking fun” at the pair for leaving the mansion’s “outdated” aesthetic untouched.
The Chateau of Riven Rock sits within the historic Riven Rock neighborhood and features a French Provençal architectural style.
Constructed in 2003 and designed by Terry Cunningham, the property was built on land that originally formed part of the McCormick family estate dating back to the 1890s.
The Sussexes reportedly shelled out around $14.65 million to acquire the property in 2020, yet according to those living nearby, little has been done to bring the estate up to date.
Journalist Tom Sykes commented on his Royalist podcast: “I was in New York last week, and I was meeting with somebody who lives fairly near them, and they said to me that the house that they occupy in Montecito is like a sort of laughing stock.”
He continued: “It’s kind of shameful because, of course, in America, if you’re a billionaire and you buy a house for $14million, I mean, what’s the first thing you do? Knock it down, you know, or at the very least remodel it, you know?” Mr Sykes said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are allegedly still “padding around in a kitchen that looks straight out of the Olive Garden”.
Harry and Meghan’s Montecito luxury residence encompasses a total of five acres of land, boasting nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a pool and a tennis court, along with expansive gardens and its own chicken coop, which the couple have named “Archie’s Chick Inn”.
It also includes a five-car garage, a guesthouse, a spa, a wine cellar, a gym, a library and a tea house, among other upscale amenities.
The Sussex couple have offered rare glimpses of their home in their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, as well as on social media.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
