Meghan Markle dubbed ‘Princess of Montecito’

The Duchess of Sussex has earned herself a new title in LA, meanwhile Prince Harry has been busy with a project close to his heart.

The Duchess of Sussex has reportedly earned the nickname “Princess of Montecito” because of her self-indulgent and royal-like lifestyle.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were often “waited on hand and foot”, with the Duchess regularly requesting “secluded” tables at restaurants, a source told UK magazine Closer.

“If she’s going into Beverly Hills or West Hollywood for lunch of dinner, she’ll generally call ahead and request and table that is completely secluded,” the source said.

“She likes higher-end hangouts like Cecconi’s, Sunset Tower, Sugarfish or Lucky’s steakhouse on Montecito, which was recommended to them by Oprah. It’s become their favourite and they’re waited on hand and foot.

“They’re also big fans of Nobu – the bills can often reach up to $5000, but Meghan and her friends are happy to pay.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex like to dine at high-end restaurants, sources say. Picture: AFP

The source revealed the “Princess of Montecito” has in the past enjoyed dining at authentic Mexican venues where she grew up in LA and gourmet sushi joints in the Downtown area.

Since moving to LA, the Sussexes have been seen hiking in the hills, dining at fancy restaurants and spied at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, where the membership reportedly costs more than A$14,000.

The couple paid more than A$19 million for their nine-bedroom Montecito mansion, which includes a tennis court and swimming pool.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry paid more than A$19m for their mansion in Montecito, in Santa Barbara, California. Picture: Supplied

Their A-list friends include Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Serena Williams, James Corden, as well as neighbours Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry.

“She spends a fair amount of time at Oprah’s palatial house, where they’ll kick back with her closest friend, Gayle King, and take about everything from Meghan’s future plans to what’s going on back in the UK and how Harry’s coping with everything,” the source said.

Some of those plans include Meghan speaking out against the Roe v Wade ruling, which banned abortions in some US states, as well as her podcast, Archetypes, which is expected to be released soon as part of the couple’s more than A$36m deal with Spotify.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry keep themselves busy with many project. They are pictured here at The Invictus Games earlier this year. Picture: AFP

Meanwhile Prince Harry has been busy starring in a new video campaign for BetterUp, a multi-billion dollar mental health start-up.

The Duke was hired as the project’s chief impact officer, where he talks about the importance of mental health and how he maintains mental fitness.

“We all have greatness within us,” Prince Harry said at the start of the short film.

“Mental fitness helps us unlock it. It’s an ongoing practice, one where you approach your mind as something to flex, not fix.

“Throughout the years of travelling around the world, what I saw was the similarities of experiences of trauma, of loss, of grief, of behind human.

“It is absolutely critical … to build up resilience.”

Prince Harry interviewed three people for a short film promoting important of mental fitness. Source: AFP

During the short film Harry interviews three people, including two-time Olympic gold medallist Chloe Kim, about their mental health practices and how they achieve mental fitness.

“I’m doing my best. I am working really hard,” Kim revealed when asked how strengthening her mental fitness helped her achieve her snowboarding goals.

“I have to pivot and find a solution to creating a positive outcome.”

Originally published as Meghan Markle dubbed ‘Princess of Montecito’