Ever since being catapulted into the public eye, Meghan Markle has seemingly aimed to
appear relatable to those of us outside of the royal fold.
From doing her own makeup for big events, to bucking royal protocol when it comes to
showing her husband affection, the Duchess of Sussex is just like us, right?
Remember her poignant essay for The New York Times in which the Duchess of Sussex revealed
her very personal miscarriage story?
And, of course it seems like much of the family drama most of us typically like to keep private
has been played out for the world to see in Meghan's case.
Ideal?
No.
Relatable?
Yes.
Except, in 2021 when she shared her book "The Bench" with fans during a video reading, she
wasn't so relatable, and that was only the beginning of her "every girl" image starting
to fade away.
Meghan Markle's book "The Bench" made the New York Times Bestseller List and was more
or less well received.
But something other than the content of the story jumped out at people who watched the
Duchess read "The Bench" via video last year.
Indeed, it was estimated Meghan wore over $33,000 in jewelry — not so accessible after
all, that Duchess of Sussex.
As a result of the PR nightmare her ritzy accessories created, royal commentator Neil
Sean told Express,
"The biggest problem for Meghan and her advisors is how do they make her relatable."
When Meghan and Harry parted ways with the royal family in favor of a quieter life in
California, this could have been the perfect opportunity to leave privilege behind.
But according to a new report, the former actress seems to have replicated her royal
lifestyle in the US.
With the United Kingdom in their rearview mirror, the Sussexes were ready to adopt a
brand new lifestyle.
But rather than move to a humble home upon saying "toodle-oo" to palace life, the Duke
and Duchess of Sussex chose a mega-mansion in Montecito, California for their family
of four.
As Architectural Digest notes, Montecito itself is a virtual who's who of celebrities, with
the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ellen DeGeneres also calling this town
home.
Then there's the house itself, which AD reports is over 18,000 square feet boasting nine bedrooms
and 16 bathrooms.
Again, not so relatable.
Meanwhile, it seems any efforts that Meghan Markle has made to portray herself as one
of the people has been further thwarted by a new nickname people in the area have bestowed
upon her: "the Princess of Montecito."
According to a source who talked to Closer, based on how Meghan conducts herself, the
nickname suits her pretty well.
Consider that when the former royal goes out to eat, she'll call the restaurant ahead to
ask for a "completely secluded" table, a practice her star friends are also known to employ.
But that is not the only reason Montecito residents think the mom of two is still acting
like a member of the royal family.
If she's not holding business meetings in her nearly 20,000-square-foot palace, er,
home, then the Duchess of Sussex is behind closed doors at the swanky Beverly Hills Hotel
discussing one of her many ventures, such as hers and Prince Harry's estimated $75 million
Spotify deal.
Presumably some of those conversations are about the lack of content the Sussexes have
provided for that $75 million sum.
Another favorite hangout of Meghan's?
That would be Oprah Winfrey's $100 million house, which features a private screening
room and a library and sits on 70 acres.
One insider told Closer,
"She spends a fair amount of time at Oprah's palatial house, where they'll kick back with
her closest friend, Gayle King, and talk about everything from Meghan's future plans to what's
going on back in the UK and how Harry's coping with everything."
Meanwhile, "the Princess of Montecito" also counts Ellen DeGeneres, Serena Williams, James
Corden and Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry as friends.
She might not be part of the British royal family anymore, but it seems Meghan Markle
still enjoys the finer things in life.
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