The Duke of Sussex has withdrawn his high court libel claim against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, saying his focus is on “the safety of his family” and his legal action against the Home Office.

Prince Harry, 39, sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a February 2022 article about his legal challenge against the Home Office after a decision to change his publicly funded security arrangements when visiting the UK.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said: “As is the nature with legal proceedings, years have lapsed since this complaint was first filed. In the time since, the main hearing relating to the duke’s judicial review has taken place and we are awaiting the final decision as to whether Ravec [the executive committee for the protection of royalty and public figures] acted lawfully with regard to his security.

“His focus remains there, and on the safety of his family, rather than these legal proceedings that give a continued platform to the Mail’s false claims all those years ago.”

The duke’s lawyers had claimed the Mail on Sunday’s February 2022 story about his challenge “purported to reveal, in sensational terms” that information from court documents “contradicted public statements he had previously made about his willingness to pay for police protection for himself and his family whilst in the UK”.

ANL contested the claim, arguing the article expressed an “honest opinion” and did not cause “serious harm” to his reputation.

In a ruling last month, the duke lost a bid to have ANL’s “honest opinion” thrown out by a judge and was ordered to pay £48,447 towards the publisher’s legal bills. The Mail said that Harry would now “have to face” paying the newspaper’s costs of £250,000, plus his own lawyers’ fees. The Sussexes’ spokesperson said it was “premature” to speculate on how legal costs in the case would be determined.

In December, the duke went to court to challenge the decision by Ravec, the committee to which the Home Office delegates security decisions on royals and other public figures, to accord him a lesser degree of security after his decision to no longer be a working member of the royal family.

The decision to discontinue the ANL libel claim means the duke is now involved in four cases at the high court.

These are:

• A separate claim – made alongside Elton John and Doreen Lawrence – of unlawful information-gathering against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, with the next hearing expected in March this year.

• A case alongside the actor Hugh Grant alleging unlawful information-gathering against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the Sun and the now defunct News of the World, which is expected to go to trial in January 2025.

• The next stage of phone-hacking cases against Mirror Group Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mirror and Mirror on Sunday.

• The claim against the Home Office regarding his security arrangements in the UK, with a ruling expected this year.