The Sussexes' Montecito Life: California Casual Meets British Roots

Since stepping back from royal duties, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have built a new life on the coast of California, in the exclusive hillside town of Montecito. It is a world away from the palaces of London, sun-warmed, informal, and stylish in an easy, understated way, yet it carries unmistakable British threads through it. The Sussexes’ Montecito life is a study in relaxed-luxe living, California-cool on the surface and quietly British at heart.

For those drawn to Meghan’s long-documented sense of style and entertaining, their California life offers a whole aesthetic to admire and borrow: neutral, natural, generous and calm. It is aspirational in the best sense, not about extravagance, but about a beautifully considered way of living well.

Here is a look at the Sussexes’ Montecito life, the home, the entertaining, the style, and the British roots that run through it all.

Montecito: the setting

Montecito is a serene, leafy enclave on the Santa Barbara coast, long favoured by those seeking privacy and natural beauty, and it suits the Sussexes perfectly. Its gentle Mediterranean climate, mature gardens and relaxed pace provide exactly the calm, family-focused backdrop they sought, a place to raise their children away from the intensity of royal life.

The setting shapes the whole aesthetic. This is coastal California living: indoor-outdoor spaces, abundant gardens, natural light and a rhythm built around family, food and the outdoors. It is a lifestyle defined by ease and nature, and it informs everything from the way they dress to the way they entertain.

The relaxed-luxe home aesthetic

The Sussexes’ home style, as glimpsed through Meghan’s ventures and appearances, is quiet luxury applied to the home: neutral palettes, natural materials, generous flowers, and an emphasis on comfort and calm over grandeur. Think creams and soft neutrals, linen and wood, candlelight and greenery: an aesthetic that feels serene, expensive and entirely liveable.

It is the home equivalent of Meghan’s wardrobe: understated, tonal and beautifully considered, with quality in the details rather than showiness on the surface. The look is easy to draw inspiration from, built as it is on natural textures, a soft palette and an unhurried, welcoming atmosphere rather than any single expensive statement.

Entertaining, the Montecito way

Entertaining is central to the Sussexes’ California life, and Meghan, a keen and knowledgeable host since her Tig days, has made it something of a signature. The style is generous but relaxed: beautiful but unfussy tables, seasonal food, homemade touches, and an emphasis on warmth and welcome over formality.

It is entertaining as a pleasure rather than a performance: the kind of hosting that makes guests feel instantly at ease. Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever draws directly on this ethos, and her homeware sensibility is explored further in our piece on the homeware from With Love, Meghan. To set a similar table, quality basics, good glassware, natural linens, a Le Creuset dish for the centrepiece, go a long way.

California casual style

The wardrobe matches the setting. In Montecito, the Sussexes have leaned fully into California casual: Meghan in relaxed neutrals, easy tailoring, good denim and a beautiful bag; Harry in chinos, henleys and suede boots. It is the pared-back, quality-led aesthetic they have always favoured, dialled up to sun-warmed ease.

The look is relaxed-luxe: simple, natural, expensive-feeling without being showy. It continues the through-line of Meghan’s style from her pre-royal Tig years to today: the same instinct for neutral palettes, quality basics and understatement, simply relocated to the California coast.

The British threads

For all its California ease, the Sussexes’ life keeps a distinctly British thread running through it. Meghan continues to champion British brands she loves, carrying her much-loved Strathberry bags, among others, and the couple’s sensibility retains a certain understated, quality-led restraint that reads as much British as Californian.

It is a lovely blend: the relaxed warmth of California meeting the heritage and restraint of Britain. That fusion, sunshine and understatement, informality and quality, is really the signature of the whole Montecito aesthetic, and part of what makes it feel both fresh and familiar.

Bringing the Montecito look home

The Sussexes’ Montecito style is surprisingly easy to draw on, because it rests on calm, natural, quality-led choices rather than extravagance. For the home, favour neutral palettes, natural materials, plenty of greenery and flowers, and warm, welcoming lighting. For entertaining, keep it generous but relaxed, with seasonal food and beautiful, unfussy tables.

For style, build a wardrobe of quality neutral basics, good denim, easy tailoring and a beautiful bag. The whole aesthetic is about calm, quality and warmth: an achievable, aspirational way of living well that anyone can borrow a little of. It is relaxed luxury, and its lessons cost less than you might think.

Why the Montecito aesthetic appeals

The Sussexes’ Montecito life appeals because it offers a vision of living well that feels both aspirational and attainable: calm, natural, generous and beautifully considered, without needing to be extravagant. Its blend of California ease and British restraint is genuinely lovely, and full of ideas anyone can adopt at home.

That is its charm, and its usefulness. Browse more of our British Living stories for more on entertaining, homeware and living the good life with a royal touch.

Frequently asked questions

Where do Harry and Meghan live?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in Montecito, an exclusive hillside town on the coast near Santa Barbara, California. They settled there after stepping back from royal duties, drawn by its privacy, natural beauty and relaxed pace.

What is the Sussexes’ home style?

Their home aesthetic is relaxed luxury: neutral palettes, natural materials, abundant flowers and greenery, and an emphasis on comfort and calm over grandeur. It is serene, tonal and beautifully considered: the home equivalent of Meghan’s understated wardrobe.

How does Meghan entertain?

Meghan, a keen host since her Tig days, entertains in a generous but relaxed style: beautiful, unfussy tables, seasonal food and homemade touches, with the emphasis on warmth and welcome rather than formality. Her brand As Ever draws on this ethos.

What is Montecito like?

Montecito is a serene, leafy and exclusive enclave on the Santa Barbara coast, known for its privacy, Mediterranean climate and natural beauty. It has long attracted those seeking a peaceful, private life, which is what drew the Sussexes there.

How can I get the Montecito look at home?

Favour neutral palettes, natural materials like linen and wood, plenty of greenery and flowers, and warm lighting. For entertaining, keep tables beautiful but relaxed with seasonal food. The look is about calm, quality and warmth rather than extravagance.

Do the Sussexes still wear British brands?

Yes. Despite living in California, Meghan continues to champion British brands she loves, including her much-favoured Strathberry bags, and the couple’s understated, quality-led style retains a distinctly British thread alongside its California ease.

Details of the Sussexes’ life and style are drawn from widely published accounts; brand associations are noted only where documented.