Why Prince Harry Called In Lawyers Over Canceled Invictus Games Fundraiser

Prince Harry has threatened legal action over claims a fundraiser for the Invictus Games was canceled due to the Netflix mega-deal he signed with wife Meghan Markle.

The Duke of Sussex, 35, launched the Olympics-style tournament for injured veterans and is quoted on its website saying it shows "the very best of the human spirit."

However, reports over the weekend suggested a fundraiser event due to be streamed by Amazon was canceled due to a conflict of interest with Harry and Meghan's new Netflix contract.

They signed a landmark deal estimated at between $50 to $100 million to make shows over multiple years.

The concert was once planned for the Hollywood Bowl, in Los Angeles, around the time of the 2021 Invictus games next year. There were discussions about asking Ed Sheeran and Beyonce to perform.

A source close to the couple vehemently denied the story, saying the move was due to the impact of the coronavirus.

The Sunday Times has now added a note to its original story confirming it has received a legal complaint over its article, which remains online.

Newsweek has been told a letter before action was sent to the newspaper because the criticism struck at a cause close to Harry's heart.

A Sussex source told Newsweek: "This is about the suggestion that the duke was not fully committed to the Invictus Games, which is untrue and was obviously upsetting to the duke."

The source added: "The Netflix stuff has absolutely zero to do with the Invictus plan, there's absolutely no connection whatsoever.

"In terms of the plan for some form of Amazon-backed concert, which was part of the proposal, there are lots of reasons why that's not going ahead.

"One of the main ones being the proposal was for a live major concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

"There were lots of problems with it and everyone went away and it was decided they were not going to push forward with it and therefore there were other ways to look at other fundraising opportunities for Invictus."

The newspaper claimed a lawyer acting for Harry had canceled the event citing a "conflict" over a planned deal with a rival streaming service.

Plans for the concert, negotiated by Spun Gold, were in their infancy with the venue unable to give guarantees about whether it would be open due to coronavirus.

Sheeran and Beyonce had not yet been booked and the project was still in the development stage.

However, Newsweek has been told Prince Harry is still open to working with Amazon in the future should a different project be possible.

A source said: "Amazon has an amazing veterans employment program and support program in the U.S.

"They are keen to try and support Invictus in some way. That does not mean at this stage that there is going to be a concert in the Hollywood Bowl in the spring which sells tickets and all the rest of it.

"Will that materialize into some other form of support? There's a possibility. We will constantly continue those lines of conversation. But as it currently stands it is not going ahead."

An Invictus spokesperson 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 global circumstances with COVID, the event needed to be reconceptualized. This was an independent decision made prior to a partnership with Netflix.

"The Duke remains committed as ever to the Invictus Games, which he founded, and the Invictus Games Foundation of which he is Patron, and looks forward to making the Invictus Games, The Hague 2020 a huge success, as they have always been."