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Being in the public eye honestly sounds like a nightmare.
Like, imagine if you could just read all the mean things people say about you behind your back, like, by googling your name. Like I said: nightmare.
Anyway, I'm not surprised that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stay off social media these days, because the comments aren't pretty. And the regular media isn't much better: A source just told Closer that the Sussexes' neighbors apparently refer to the duchess as "The Princess of Montecito."
I'm going to pause right here for a sec. So, obviously, if they call her that, it's to be snarky and imply that she's spoiled and all that stuff. But at the same time, if someone called me "The Princess of North-West London," I'm not gonna lie, I'd be thrilled. I think it's a super cute nickname. And then there's the middle ground, whereby Markle may not be an actual princess, but she is married to a prince—ergo, princess.
Now that that's cleared up, let's move on. The insider went on to describe what the duchess' life is like in California, and it sounds idyllic AF, to be honest.
"There’s a lot more going on in Meghan’s world than people think, she just keeps it very private these days but her royal status gives her a lot of leverage," the source said.
"She spends most of her time in Montecito, but she heads into LA every week or so."
They added, "Meghan loves driving around LA to go to the same hiking trails that she used to visit back in the day, well off the beaten track. Often she’ll head off just herself and the dogs, which gives her time to reflect."
The duchess apparently sends Archie off to school with a packed lunch, then goes home to work amid her books and crystals (I can relate to the latter detail).
Expanding on Markle's work life, the source said, "Their home is large enough to host most of her business meetings, but sometimes Meghan will secretly book a conference room at the five-star Beverly Hills Hotel, known to locals as The Pink Palace. She’s throwing herself into work on her podcast at the moment, which she can work on from home."
This is literal dreams, if you discount the whole not-talking-to-the-family ordeal.
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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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