Former Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, more famously known as Johnny Rotten, has accused the band of trying to "cash in" on Queen Elizabeth II's death.
One of the UK punk band's biggest hits was the song God Save The Queen, released in 1977.
The counter-culture song criticised the monarchy, featuring the line, "God save the Queen, she ain't no human being and there's no future and England's dreaming".
Today, a series of tweets were posted to Lydon's official Twitter account trying to distance from the Sex Pistols, claiming the band have attempted to monetise the Queen's death.
"John Lydon wishes to distance himself from any Sex Pistols activity which aims to cash in on Queen Elizabeth II's death. The musicians in the band and their management have approved a number of requests against John's wishes on the basis of the majority court-ruling agreement."
Further tweets point to the band specifically trying to get "commercial gain" from their song God Save The Queen.
Another tweet reveals what Lydon's thoughts on the monarchy are today.
"John wrote the lyrics to this historical song, and while he has never supported the monarchy, he feels that the family deserves some respect in this difficult time, as would be expected for any other person or family when someone close to them has died."
A spokesperson for the Sex Pistols told the UK Daily Mail Lydon's comments are "baffling".
"We cannot understand what [John] would be referring to. Other than a couple requests for use of imagery or audio in news reports on the Queen and her impact on culture, there's nothing new relating to God Save The Queen being promoted or released in any way."
We’ll have full coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral on Monday in a 1News Special from 7.30 pm on TVNZ 1, and on 1News.co.nz.
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