In a ritzy California town, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were referred to as local villains by their neighbors.

According to reports, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are referred to as local villains by the residents of the affluent California town they moved to following their departure from their royal duties.

A Montecito resident, who has never met the couple but spoke to Vanity Fair, described the duo as the prince and "the starlet."

The residents of the peaceful Santa Barbara community believe that Markle and Prince Harry are responsible for the recent disturbances, such as rising housing costs, congested roads, and increased noise levels.

Since Markle and Harry moved to the neighborhood in 2020, there has been a significant increase in tourist traffic, according to anonymous residents who spoke to an outlet. Additionally, Vanity Fair reported that several people they interviewed considered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to be local villains.

"You know, the thing about [Meghan and Harry] that is so great is they didn’t come here to live off of our community. They came here to be a part of our community." — Sharon Stone

Vanity Fair reported that Markle's latest business venture, American Riviera Orchard, is located in Montecito. The Southern Pacific Company rail lines published a book in 1898 that referred to Montecito as the "American Riviera." However, according to Vanity Fair, Santa Barbara now holds that title.

A resident told Vanity Fair that it's hucksterism, as she's always looking for ways to monetize something.

"The resident stated that they believe the individuals are the most entitled and disingenuous people on the planet. Although they relocated to the United States to escape the scrutiny of the British press, they continue to seek attention from the American media."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for a comment.

Sharon Stone has praised the couple's arrival.

In 2020, she told Access Hollywood that what makes them so great is that they didn't come to our community to rely on it, but rather to be a part of it.

"My friend recounted how she was sitting in her car when they bicycled across the street and waved at her while she was at a red light. She remembered them as a giving, caring, and participating member of their community. They were not there to be rude or demanding."

A number of famous individuals reside in Montecito, including Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Keaton, and Oprah.

Although he relocated to the United States five years ago and retired from his royal duties, Prince Harry is reportedly not active on the social scene beyond his immediate family.

A source who previously interacted with Markle professionally told Vanity Fair that Meghan was open about Harry not having many friends yet.

In 2020, Markle and Prince Harry established Montecito as their home and quickly landed a Netflix contract. They released their docuseries "Harry & Meghan" in 2022, which earned the biggest one-day audience for any Netflix series since monitoring began in October 2022. A year later, they followed up with the "Heart of Invictus" docuseries in 2023 and produced "Polo" in 2024.

Multiple sources described Markle and Prince Harry as having "really great ideas" for shows that never got made.

"According to an insider who worked with the couple on media projects, Harry lacks clarity on what he wants in life because he was raised in a fishbowl and doesn't understand the realities of the outside world. The insider believes that Harry desires privacy and the ability to spend time with his family, but he doesn't want the fame that Meghan craves."

Planet Chronicle Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.