'I live next door to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - one thing surprises me'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle settled into their Montecito home in June 2020, after a stint at Tyler Perry's residence, who is also Princess Lilibet's godfather.
Before this, the couple had enjoyed a six-month stay on Vancouver Island in Canada, following a family holiday post their inaugural South African tour with Prince Archie in Autumn 2019. But despite the picturesque setting, the Sussexes' neighbour shared his experience of being cold-shouldered when he attempted to introduce himself.
Back in 2023, then-88 year old Navy veteran Frank McGinity, who lives next door to Harry and Meghan's 15-bedroom Tuscan-style villa, tried to welcome the couple by offering them a collection of films about the local history.
He described his interaction with the couple's security detail in an updated chapter of his memoir Get Off Your Street, which also covers the community's ordeal with destructive mudslides prior to the royals' arrival, reports OK!.
McGinity expressed astonishment at Meghan and Harry's choice of residence, as the Riven Rock Estate they now call home typically appeals to an older demographic.
Recounting his attempt to connect with the Sussexes, he said: "I have a big house next to Harry and Meghan's property - [they] live on old McCormick property and I went up to their gate with the films on a CD, but they weren't interested.
"The gate guy turned me away and wouldn't take the film, just saying 'they're not interested'. I was trying to be neighbourly. If they were interested in the neighbourhood I've got a lot of information."
The veteran told the Montecito Journal: "We don't see them very much around here. It's surprising they came here. People are typically older. It's where the elephants come to die."
In his book, McGinity recounted the impact of the mudslides on the small enclave that sits halfway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
He said his own home was heavily damaged in the devastating natural disaster that left 23 people across Southern California dead. Harry and Meghan's current home was left looking like a "sea of mud or a moonscape".
McGinity wrote: "We live in Riven Rock, a neighbourhood of 34 homes surrounded by a thick stone wall surrounding 87 acres. This is where Stanley McCormick lived for 40 years..
"But half of this beautiful estate, which Stanley created, turned to a sea of mud on January 9th, 2018. Four homes were completely destroyed. Our home took a big hit.
"The mud entered the rear of the house and disseminated our office, entry hall, and back bedroom. There were boulders so large in the rooms, our contractor had to chisel them apart in order to remove them.
"I found a TV from the office and a mattress near our front gate – 500 feet away. Can you imagine the fury of that mudslide?"
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