Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's neighbors weren't thrilled or excited about the Duke of Sussex's autobiography. According to a report, there were only a few books sold in their neighborhood in Montecito.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Neighbors In Montecito Not Interested In Spare?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in their $14 million mansion in Montecito. The town is home to big celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Gwyneth Paltrow and power couple Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, to name a few.
However, despite the global news of Prince Harry's controversial memoir, only 30 books were sold in Montecito's Tecolote Book Shop, Daily Mail reported.
Mary Shelton, the owner of the local bookstore, spoke with the Guardian. According to her, despite the book selling millions worldwide, it wasn't that popular among Prince Harry's neighbors.
"I got a call from a reporter in England," Shelton told The Guardian. "He asked me how many books we'd sold, and I said, 'None – zero. We're under evacuation."
Montecito residents were forced to evacuate from their houses due to heavy rain and flooding earlier this month. A week later, when the rain had stopped, the sales for Spare were still far from robust.
Sheldon said she only sold 30 copies, and a few more were reserved for customers who promised to fetch the book in person.
The outlet noted it was "remarkable" why there was a lack of buzz about the book in Montecito when it has been the topic of conversation almost everywhere else on the planet.
The outlet added that the Sussexes' neighbors are well-heeled and well-read. The underwhelming performance of Prince Harry's memoir is not necessarily a snub or rebuke of the royal couple but was probably the unspoken code of silence that the town maintains for its celebrity residents.
Is Montecito The Perfect Place For Prince Harry And Meghan Markle?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex asked for privacy when they stepped back from their royal duties. Kelly Mahan Herrick, a real estate agent specialising in luxury properties, said Montecito is "a perfect place to live under the radar."
The royal couple is reportedly living a normal life in town. The president of the Montecito Trails Foundation, Ashlee Mayfield, recounted an encounter between one of her board members and the Duke of Sussex in the mountain. Prince Harry reportedly helped him move a fallen tree.
"I think he really wants to be a normal guy in town," Mayfield said of Prince Harry.
"Life up here isn't all about gates and money and celebrity," he added.
"There is a mutual respect and consideration because of what can happen and what we have lived through as a community."
Les Firestein, a former Hollywood comedy writer turned local magazine editor, said those who live in Montecito find the royal family's feuding a remote curiosity despite Prince Harry and Markle living among them.
"For most Montecitans, if not most Americans, royal watching is like bangers and mash – it's something we've heard of but isn't really our culture," Firestein said.
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"We don't really notice Harry and Meghan, though sometimes the locals get rankled by the British tabloids trying to get to them."
TC Boyle, the short-story writer and novelist who is also Montecito's most distinguished literary luminary, said he didn't read Prince Harry's memoir and will not read it.
Prince Harry's Spare has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book, breaking the record from Barack Obama. Prince Harry's memoir sold 1.43 million on its opening day.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about Prince Harry.
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