Harry And Meghan Are Reportedly Facing A Strange Issue In Their Neighborhood
Despite all attempts to remain out of the headlines, it seems Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are perpetually plagued by even the most tangential of matters. Whether it's Piers Morgan's apparently endless vendetta against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for, from what most can garner, Meghan lightly ghosting the media personality a handful of years ago, or the couple's ongoing estrangement from the British royal family, it looks as if Meghan and Harry can't ever get a break. The most recent example? Since early February, residents of the Santa Barbara neighborhood of Montecito, which the pair calls home, have pointed to their mansion as the origin point of a foul smell, which has bombarded the area for days.
As Curbed summarized on February 11, tabloids highlighted that despite the overwhelming odor's undeniable presence, Harry and Meghan have remained "silent" on the issue — a tidbit which could appear to imply that their silence is somehow indicative that they have caused the smell themselves. Though previous reports, in this way, purportedly attributed the smell as one that originated from their home — or, at the very least, insinuated that their home could be a possible source — it looks like the root of the stench is most likely from something else entirely.
Harry and Meghan are supposedly dealing with a 'strange smell'
As the New York Post reported on February 11, the smell overtaking the Santa Barbara neighborhood where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle currently reside is most likely not from their mansion, but from a nearby wildlife reserve. Per the Post, the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge, a 42-acre area which largely rests on a saltwater marsh, is indeed the smell's ground zero. The stench itself can be attributed to stagnant water within the confines of the reserve, which in turn produces gasses that can smell like rotten eggs.
Speaking with the Post, Santa Barbara's clean water manager, Cameron Benson, explained why the smell can wax and wane with regards to pungency. "The odor issues are sporadic and sometimes they are worse in some conditions," Benson said. "I've seen lots of homeowners closing their windows when it wafts over."
Back on February 5, a local from the area told the Mirror something similar. "It makes my stomach churn," the person claimed of the scent. "I've seen lots of homeowners closing their windows when it wafts over."