Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s
return to Britain has opened a new chapter for the Sussexes — but their
departure from California is continuing to generate criticism from people who lived
near them in Montecito.
Former neighbours have reportedly
offered sharply negative opinions about Harry, with former Beach Boys member
Bruce Johnston among those quoted describing the Duke of Sussex as a “jerk.”
The remarks have added another layer to the debate surrounding the couple’s
decision to leave their California base after around six years and relocate
their family to Britain.
The criticism comes at a
particularly sensitive moment. Harry and Meghan have returned to the UK with
their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, while
questions remain over their long-term plans, security arrangements, royal
status and future relationship with the wider Royal Family.
At the same time, their children
have already been moved from the first UK school they attended after security
concerns were raised about the daily journey between the family’s home and the
school.
Why the Montecito comments are attracting attention
Harry and Meghan moved to
Montecito after stepping back from working royal duties and leaving the UK. The
California community became closely associated with their post-royal life,
offering privacy while also placing the couple among some of America's
wealthiest and most recognizable residents.
Now, their abrupt departure has
prompted a fresh wave of commentary.
Reports from the area have
described neighbours as surprised by the speed of the move, with claims that
some people connected to their children's former school were not informed until
after the family had left. Other reports have quoted local residents
criticizing the Sussexes' relationship with the surrounding community.
Johnston's reported description of
Harry has therefore become part of a much wider story about whether the
Sussexes ever truly established themselves within the exclusive California
community.
That remains a matter of opinion
rather than a settled fact. But the comments are attracting attention because
they come from someone who was part of the same affluent social environment.
The duke and
duchess don't appear to be popular with their Montecito neighbours (Image:
Getty)
The criticism comes as Harry and Meghan rebuild their UK life
The timing is significant.
Harry and Meghan have returned to
Britain with Archie and Lilibet after spending roughly six years living in
California. Their move has immediately raised questions about whether the
family intends to spend substantially more time in Britain or whether the UK
chapter will remain temporary.
Recent reporting indicates that
the family will retain their Montecito residence, while their exact UK home
arrangements have not been publicly confirmed. Their return has nevertheless
placed the Sussexes much closer to the centre of the British royal story once
again.
For Harry, that means navigating
life in Britain while remaining outside the working Royal Family.
For Meghan, it means building a
new routine in a country where every public appearance can attract intense
media attention.
And for their children, it means
adapting to a new school system, new surroundings and a country that their
parents had previously left behind.
The school decision has added another layer to the story
One of the biggest developments
since the family's return has involved Archie and Lilibet's education.
The children initially began at a
UK preparatory school but were moved after only two days because the family's
security team reportedly considered the commute unsuitable from an operational
perspective.
The issue was not presented as a
criticism of the school itself. A spokesperson emphasized that the decision was
based on transportation and security concerns, with the children subsequently
enrolled at a closer school.
That development has placed private education, child privacy
and royal security at the centre of the Sussexes' latest move.
It also highlights one of the
practical difficulties facing the couple: creating an ordinary family routine
while living under extraordinary levels of public scrutiny.
A new debate over Harry and Meghan’s royal status
Their return has also coincided
with an important clarification from King Charles.
A letter issued to senior British
government and military figures reaffirmed that Harry and Meghan are no longer
working members of the Royal Family and are to be treated in a position akin to
private citizens. It also confirmed that they will not use their HRH styles
publicly and that any charitable activities are undertaken privately.
The couple were reportedly
surprised by the timing of the announcement, learning about the letter only
shortly before it was distributed.
Sources close to Harry and Meghan
have pushed back against the description, arguing that the couple remain
internationally recognizable public figures whose visibility has practical
implications for privacy and security.
That disagreement matters because
the Sussexes' return puts them in a complicated position.
They are close to the Royal Family
geographically and remain among the world's most recognizable royals, yet they
do not perform official royal duties.
Security remains one of the biggest unresolved questions
The family's move has also revived
the long-running debate over Harry's security in Britain.
Harry lost automatic publicly
funded police protection after stepping back from royal duties, a decision he
has challenged through the courts. Following the family's return, both Harry
and Meghan are now subject to separate security assessments by the Royal and
VIP Executive Committee, known as RAVEC.
The committee has reportedly
requested information about the couple's schedules and daily routines as part
of its assessment.
That makes the children's school
arrangements especially significant. A regular school journey involving heavy
traffic and long travel times can create different security considerations from
a school located closer to the family's home.
In other words, the Sussexes'
latest school decision is not simply an education story. It is also part of the
much bigger question of how a globally famous family can maintain privacy and
security while attempting to establish a more conventional life.
Is the Montecito chapter really over?
The most intriguing question may
be whether Harry and Meghan have genuinely closed the California chapter.
Their UK return has been dramatic
enough to prompt speculation about the future of their Montecito property, but
there is no confirmed announcement that they are permanently giving up their
American base. The couple have also retained strong connections to the United
States through their commercial and charitable interests.
That leaves open the possibility
of a more complicated arrangement in which Britain becomes an important family
base while California remains part of their wider personal and professional
life.
For now, however, the family
appears to be concentrating on the practical challenges of settling into
Britain.
The neighbour backlash tells only part of the story
The comments from former Montecito
neighbours are likely to attract headlines because they provide a rare glimpse
into how some people outside the Royal Family view Harry and Meghan.
But they should not be treated as
evidence of a universal opinion.
Montecito is a large, wealthy
community, and individual comments from residents — even prominent ones —
represent personal views rather than a definitive verdict on the Sussexes' time
in California.
What is harder to dismiss is the
scale of attention surrounding the family's departure.
Their move has triggered questions
about real estate,
private schooling, family security, royal titles, public funding and the future
of the Sussex brand all at once.
And those questions are unlikely
to disappear quickly.
A new chapter with more scrutiny than ever
Harry and Meghan once left Britain
in search of greater privacy and independence.
Their return has produced almost
the opposite effect.
Within weeks, the family has faced
renewed attention over their royal status, security arrangements, children's
education and relationship with the institution they stepped away from.
Now, criticism from former
neighbours in Montecito has added another storyline to the mix.
Whether the remarks ultimately
amount to anything more than celebrity gossip remains to be seen. But the
broader issue is much more consequential: Harry and Meghan are attempting to
build a new family life in Britain while remaining two of the world's most
closely watched public figures.
The decision to return may have
changed where the Sussexes live.
It has not changed how closely people are watching
them.
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