Prince Harry on Wednesday became the latest member of the British royal family to announce his effective resignation from public duties, saying he and his wife, Meghan Markle, planned to spend more time in North America and become “financially independent”.

The announcement from the Duke of Sussex, younger son of the Prince of Wales, the heir to the throne, follows months of reports about the couple’s unhappiness with life in the public eye.

The duke in October sued two newspapers for alleged phone hacking, days after the duchess initiated proceedings against the Mail on Sunday for breach of privacy.

The couple’s plans provoked a guarded response from the royal family. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said discussions with the couple were “at an early stage”: “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through”.