Inside Harry's glitzy Montecito world as he turns 40

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, few would have bet that privacy-conscious Prince Harry would end up spending his 40th birthday in Montecito, this gleaming Valhalla in Santa Barbara County for the rich and famous, this jewel on the American Riviera where another perfect summer is softly drawing to a close.

Amid the choking California glamour, the kombucha cocktails and nut-butter waffles, is there a place here for a motherless boy who went to school in starched collars and a tailcoat, who grew up accustomed to royal deference and his place in the line of succession? It couldn’t have taken him long to discover that a very different hierarchy holds sway in his adopted hometown.

In July, Glee actress Jane Lynch judged the dog contest at the local Miramar hotel – where a beach room costs £4,200 per night – and gave top prize to a spaniel called Raffa.

Inside Harry's glitzy Montecito world as he turns 40

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, few would have bet that privacy-conscious Harry would end up spending his 40th birthday in ­Montecito, this gleaming Valhalla for the rich and famous,

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, few would have bet that privacy-conscious Harry would end up spending his 40th birthday in Montecito, this gleaming Valhalla for the rich and famous,