Meghan Markle's Alleged Nickname From Her Neighbors Has Been Revealed

Ever since being catapulted into the public eye upon starting to date Prince Harry, 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 now-husband affection, the Duchess of Sussex is just like us, right (via Insider)? 

Cafemom offers more evidence that Meghan is just an ordinary woman who is now a household name, citing her willingness to share her challenges with the world. 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, with the Evening Standard calling it "loving" and "soothing." 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 (via Express). 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 has only seemingly 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 so long 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 (via MSN). 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, say at a favorite spot like the super-chic sushi joint Nobu, 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.

Although according to Closer Meghan Markle enjoys quiet activities like hiking with her dogs, she is also acting like a huge celebrity in her adopted town of Montecito, California.

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 — which may have recently become problematic (via The Wrap). 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 (via Homes & Gardens and Hello!).

"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," the insider told Closer.

Meanwhile, "the Princess of Montecito" also counts Ellen DeGeneres, Serena Williams, James Corden and Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry as friends.