If you’re anything like me, you start most days by making yourself a big cup of tea and searching the internet for the latest news on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. And this morning, you learned that the royal duo have been harassing old people. A quick skim of the headlines revealed that Meghan and Harry “snubbed their elderly Navy veteran neighbor” with their “rude response” to his “sweet gesture.”
Shocking if true! But much like the dubious claim that the couple tried to hitch a ride on Air Force One and the divorce rumor that turned out to be partly based on Harry going on a work trip, this story falls apart upon further investigation.
Unlike the sources in many royal gossip stories, this elderly Montecito, California, neighbor definitely exists and he was willing to go on the record. Frank McGinity is an 88-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who “lives a tiara’s toss or two from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,” as the Montecito Journal put it. The “globetrotting accountant” just published an updated edition of his book Get Off Your Street, which recounts his travels on all seven continents and describes his failed attempt to make contact with Meghan and Harry. Per the New York Post:
In his memoir, “Get Off Your Street,” McGinity alleged that he approached the couple’s home to give them some of his homemade films about local history.
“I have a big house next to Harry and Meghan’s property and I live in the guest house while renting the main house out on Airbnb,” he said …
“Harry and Meghan live on old McCormick property and I went up to their gate with the films on a CD, but they weren’t interested,” he claimed.
He said the security guard wouldn’t let him past the gate.
“The gate guy turned me away and wouldn’t take the film, just saying ‘They’re not interested.’ I was trying to be neighborly.”
It’s sweet that McGinity wanted to welcome the royals to the neighborhood. But this “snubbing” is actually a story about a security guard doing his job. It’s unclear if Meghan and Harry even heard about this incident before it was added to the public accounting of their allegedly rude behavior.
There have, of course, been sporadic reports of Meghan and Harry indirectly annoying their Montecito neighbors in the past. They moved to their current home in July 2020, and within weeks TMZ reported that locals were “fed up” with the influx of paparazzi even though the town is already home to several huge stars including Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
“They definitely have brought a lot of attention to my sleepy little town,” Rob Lowe, who has lived in Montecito for decades, told E! back in 2021. “Let me tell you something: Once the royals move into your neighborhood, the neighborhood is never going to be the same.”
Lowe might have spoken too soon. The U.K.’s Daily Express reported this week that the couple are considering abandoning Montecito for Malibu, which is much closer to Los Angeles and far more celebrity-filled. Meghan signed with the top-tier L.A. talent agency WME in April.
“Being close to Beverly Hills and LA where the deals are done is smart,” a source told Express.
“And of course there is a real Malibu scene where major stars, producers and studio executives all hang out, socialize and get deals done during dinner and beach parties,” they added. “Certainly Prince Harry and Meghan would be welcome at many major parties and would be desired guests.”
Well, maybe. If there’s any lesson to be drawn from the “snubbing” report, it’s that unprovoked neighbor drama will likely follow Harry and Meghan wherever they go.
More on the royals
- Meghan Markle Gives Lifestyle Brand New, Still Bad Name
- How Are King Charles & Kate Middleton Doing? Latest Health Updates.
- King Charles Gets Snubbed and Heckled During Australia Trip
