Prince Harry accused of pulling out of Invictus fundraiser due to Netflix deal - 9Honey

A major fundraiser for Prince Harry's Invictus Games has been cancelled, reportedly after organisers were told the royal could no longer attend.

It is alleged the Duke of Sussex, 35, cancelled his attendance at the event due to the development deal he and wife Meghan signed with Netflix, worth a reported £112 million (AUD$203 million).

This fundraiser was to be streamed by Netflix rival Amazon.

However, an Invictus spokesperson has denied this claim, saying the event was shelved due to the "current circumstances with COVID".

"The event was shelved because the primary revenue generator was ticket sales from a live concert in Los Angeles in the spring of 2021," the spokesperson said.

Prince Harry meets with ex-servicemen and women during the presentation of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020. (AP/AAP)

"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."

Prince Harry poses with Invictus volunteers during an event in June. (Getty)

The fundraiser, being organised by the Invictus Games Foundation, was set to take place in June 2021 at the Hollywood Bowl and Beyonce and Ed Sheeran had been booked in to perform.

RELATED: Prince Harry's Invictus Games face more delays

A source has told Express UK it is "very bad form" and "everyone at Invictus is gutted" over the decision.

Prince Harry during the presentation of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020. (AP/AAP)

"Harry said yes to doing this last year and everything was still moving forwards until a few weeks ago," the source said.

"This was going to be a big moment for Invictus where the pot is pretty empty, and it has left them in the lurch."

The Invictus Games Foundation relies on fundraising and usually generates less than £1million (AUD$1.82million) each year.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a production deal with Netflix. (Queen's Commonwealth Trust)

However, with the Duke and Duchess signing the Netflix deal as well as undertaking numerous other ventures, they are well-positioned to ensure the Invictus Games goes ahead with plenty of proceeds to put on a spectacular event.

In fact, Prince Harry had already attended several Invictus events in 2019 and in early 2020, including the announcement of the event location and to record a fundraising single with Jon Bon Jovi.

Prince Harry and Jon Bon Jovi recording a special single in aid of the Invictus Games Foundation in 2020. (AP/AAP)

Prince Harry co-founded the Invictus Games for wounded servicemen and servicewomen, with the first event taking place in 2014. This year's event, set to take place in The Hague earlier this year, was moved to 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis.

Harry recently appeared in Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix, which explored the history of the Paralymics and introduced the public to paralympians who complete at both the Invictus Games and the Parlaympics.

During the documentary, Harry said: "There isn't anything else in the world that can bring you back from the darkest of places than sport."

How Harry and Meghan's love story began

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2020-09-06 20:32:00Z
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