Prince Harry withdrew today Friday his lawsuit for defamation against him editor of the tabloid newspaper Mail on Sunday about an article protecting him, with his spokesperson saying he “wants to focus on the safety of his family.”

Harry, King Charles’ youngest son, had sued the Associated Newspapers group over a 2022 article that said he offered to pay for police protection only after launching a separate legal battle against the British government.

The publication also accused Harry, 39, of trying to mislead the public about with his willingness to pay for police protection, which was taken away after he abdicated his royal duties in 2020.

In December, he failed to have the paper’s defense excluded from his defamation suit, meaning he may have to present evidence at the High Court in London later this year.

The Daily Mail wrote that Harry, the Duke of Sussex, withdrew from the case hours before his lawyers submit relevant documents as required. Speaking of “throws in the towel” and “levelled”, the newspaper says that now will be required to pay a total of £750,000, i.e. the expenses of the newspaper, of £250,000, together with his own costs of £500,000. Both Harry’s lawyer and an Associated Press spokesman declined to comment.

The prince’s spokesman, who noted that legal costs have not been determined, said Harry withdrew the lawsuit because he wanted to focus on the safety of his family and the case against the British government over its decision to remove automatic police protection when in Britain.

Harry, his wife Meghan and their two children now live in California after the couple stepped down from their royal duties in 2020. His lawsuit against the government was heard in December and a decision is expected in the next few months.

This case is Harry’s focus, not the defamation suit, which would “has provided a constant platform to the Mail’s false claims over the years,” the spokesman said.

The High Court of London had decided that the Mail it was slanderous paving the way for Harry to take the case against one of the biggest media publishers. However, his attempt to obtain a judgment in his favor without a trial failed.