Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have insisted their Invictus Games fundraiser was axed due to the coronavirus pandemic and not their new multi-million pound Netflix deal.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were set to help raise £1 million for the Invictus Games with a music and comedy show to be held in California next June.
The event, which had hoped to include stars like Beyonce and Ed Sheeran, was scheduled to be broadcast by Netflix's rival Amazon.
But following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new £112 million TV deal, the couple reportedly stepped away from the event leaving officials at the Invictus Foundation "stunned" when lawyers for the royals called them to tell them the news last week.
However, the couple's lawyers have now said: "The true position is that the format of the event was no longer viable in light of Covid-19.
"These factors were separate to and independent of our client’s deal with Netflix."
An Invictus spokesperson had previously said the event was "shelved" due to the pandemic.
They said: "The event was shelved because the primary revenue generator was ticket sales from a live concert in Los Angeles in the spring of 2021.
"Given current circumstances with Covid, the event needed to be reconceptualised.
"This was an independent decision made prior to a partnership with Netflix. The duke remains committed as ever to the Invictus Games."
The 2020 games which were due to be held in April in The Hague, Holland, but were called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a deal with Netflix last week for their new yet-to-be-named production company to make documentaries, feature films, scripted shows and children's programming.
They vowed to make "impactful content that unlocks action" and name-checked Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos and spoke of the firm's "unprecedented reach".
The couple, who recently bought an £11 million mansion in Montecito, California, are expected to make content including on 'mental health', an animated series about women, a nature documentary and shows on community service.
