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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing questions about how they’ll fit into their new life in the Cotswolds. Former Montecito neighbors said the pair mostly kept to themselves in California. Now, that same chatter has followed them back to the U.K. According to the Express, Ciara Curtis said the Sussexes rarely made an effort with residents. 

“I don’t mean to be unkind, but from the moment they moved in here, they have made it very clear they really can’t be bothered with regular folk,” the 52-year-old said. Curtis added, “They’ve only ever been interested in mixing with anyone as rich and famous as they are.” 

Curtis also shared a story about a neighbor named Susan. She said Susan once sent over a bottle of local wine. She also sent a handwritten welcome note through the couple’s security team. Curtis said both items were back on Susan’s doorstep the next morning. She felt that pretty much set the tone for how locals saw them. 

“They could have easily given away the bottle of wine to a member of their staff and written a two-paragraph ‘thank you’ note back to Susan. But the thoughtless act of brushing aside a small act of kindness set the tone for how they behaved and how they were perceived after that,” Curtis stated. 

Another Montecito resident, Advertising Executive Marc Atwell, also spoke about the Sussexes. “I don’t think anyone is going to miss them being here full time.” Harry and Markle stepped back from royal life in early 2020. They moved to California that March. 

After about six years there, they returned to the U.K. on August 26, with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The family is now settling into life in Britain, with the Cotswolds as their reported base. Their kids have already moved to a new school.

They spent just two days at the first one. The move came after their security team reportedly had concerns about the daily drive. Heavy traffic and the distance were part of it. They also didn’t want the family taking the same route every day. According to the BBC, Harry and Markle’s spokesperson later cleared the move.

They said, “The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.” Then, a new claim emerged about Markle’s conduct in the community.

NBC News royal commentator Daisy McAndrew said, “She’s been in a pub in the Cotswolds this week. Local sources tell me she was asking for special treatment, and that hasn’t gone down well. There’s been muttering in the Cotswolds. There’s been tooth sucking.” Markle has already been seen around the Cotswolds.

She was spotted at Soho Farmhouse earlier this month. She reportedly stopped by for an early coffee, too. Later, on September 21, the Duchess of Sussex went for lunch at The Three Horseshoes near Burford. She was with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. The women were longtime neighbors in Montecito. Now, they’re neighbors in the Cotswolds as well. 

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