The news that Prince Harry and Meghan were returning to Britain came as a huge surprise not only to the press and public, but also, apparently, to the royal family. The BBC has learned that King Charles III was only notified of the move last Sunday.
In recent years, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have proven themselves to be masters of the unexpected, but no one could have foreseen this turn of events.
For a long time, Prince Harry has said that security concerns prevented him from coming to the UK and bringing his wife and children with him.
Last year he lost a case to provide him and his family with state protection while they were in Britain. He told the BBC at the time: "At the moment I can't imagine a situation in which I could bring my wife and children back to the UK."
However, at the same time, he began to talk about how he would like reconciliation with his family. In July of this year, the whole family finally came to Britain, and King Charles III saw his youngest grandchildren for the first time in four years.
In addition, after moving to the US, Harry and Meghan said in numerous interviews that the British press made their life in the UK unbearable.
But the tabloids have not gone away and are now even more angry with the couple, who dragged them through the courts, accusing them of libel and interference with privacy.
Against the backdrop of all this, how are Harry and Meghan going to live in Britain and what is the reason for their decision to return?
According to the BBC's senior royal correspondent Daniela Relf, the decision to return to the UK appears to have been spontaneous.
She spoke to people who know the couple well, and they said a trip to the UK in July played an important role in making this decision.
In addition to spending time with the king at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire in southwest England, Harry, Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were said to have enjoyed spending time with relatives of Harry's mother, Princess Diana.
The children met their aunts, uncles and cousins. The trip to Europe, during which the family also visited Portugal, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a home, was described by Daniela Relf's interlocutors as a "great time" for the whole family.
It was then, BBC sources say, that the final decision to return to the UK was made.
The same sources told Royal Correspondent that the move was not related to any problems in the United States, despite various versions that appeared in the press. For example, it was suggested that Prince Harry had problems with his American visa. It is also discussed that America did not live up to the financial ambitions of the Sussexes, who were never able to sign long-term contracts with any of the media platforms.
However, those around Harry and Meghan insist that it is solely a matter of the desire to be closer to European relatives, as well as to give their children an education in the UK.
Schools for Archie and Lilibet have already been chosen. In almost all schools in England, the new academic year begins no later than the second week of September.
Given the family will need time to settle in, they can be expected to return to the UK within the next ten days.
The exact location of the family's future residence is not disclosed, but it is known that it will not be a royal estate, but a private estate outside of London.
According to rumors, the Sussexes may settle in the Cotswolds (historic and one of the most beautiful areas of England) or near Northampton, not far from Althorp, the family estate of the Spencer family.
Either way, they'll likely be swapping their multimillion-dollar oceanfront mansion in California for the cooler British countryside.
On the issue of family protection, nothing is clear yet.
In the USA, the Sussexes use private security services. The BBC asked their press office if the team would move to the UK with them, but there was no comment.
There are also no answers to questions about whether Harry's long-standing dispute with the Home Office has been resolved and whether they will receive official police protection in the UK.
For the king and other royal members, this news came as a surprise. The king was informed of Harry and Meghan's intentions on Sunday. He is said to welcome the opportunity to spend more time with the Sussexes in a private setting.
However, sources say the move should not be taken as a harbinger of a restoration of relations between Harry and his brother, the Prince of Wales. Their relationship has suffered greatly and there are no clear signs of reconciliation. The Prince and Princess of Wales made no official comments.
BBC correspondent Daniela Relf writes that William was never able to forgive Harry for publicly bringing the family conflict to public view - in his memoirs “Spare” and an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
According to experts, Prince William, to put it mildly, is unlikely to be happy about the return of Harry and Meghan to the UK, as well as the attention it will attract.
At the same time, Harry and Meghan are not expected to return to their duties as royal members.
The Royal Household is not interested in creating a "half in, half out" model for the Duke and Duchess.
Any activities they do in the UK will not be related to official royal duties.
Megan is clearly keen to expand the presence of her As Ever brand outside the US. But whether British consumers will see Megan's As Ever jam on supermarket shelves next to the organic products of the royal brand Duchy Organic is a big question.
The reaction of the British public to the return of Prince Harry and Meghan is best seen in the comments under articles in the media and on social networks.
The Telegraph newspaper even compiled these comments into a separate article entitled “God Save Us.”
The overall tone of the comments is not very flattering for Harry and Meghan.
The British are asking the same questions: why is security suddenly no longer an issue; how the Sussexes expect to re-enter a family that has previously been accused of racism, and what to do about the tabloids that Meghan says nearly drove her to suicidal thoughts.
Not yet, but they are expected to remain in the UK for what people around them call “an extended period of time.”
At least for now, Britain will be their home, the sources said.
One of the couple's British friends told the BBC: "I'm just really glad they'll be here."
