Swedish pop stars Abba have refused to lend the first vinyl of their hit single Waterloo to an exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

The Dancing Queen hitmakers were approached by organisers of Waterloo 200, who asked them to help celebrate the milestone next year (15) by handing over the first vinyl cut of the track to their exhibition from its current home at the Abba Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

The pop stars refused because they are convinced their song was not about the Battle of Waterloo, despite referencing the name 'Napoleon' in the track.

French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte and his army were defeated by English-allied forces in the 1815 battle.

A spokeswoman for the group tells Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper, "The question has come to us and we have said no to it. The issue was discussed by all four members of the band...

"The song isn't about the Battle of Waterloo and we don't want the record to be part of the exhibition. It gives the wrong signals... Waterloo is a pop song about someone meeting their own Waterloo. It is not about the battle."

The 200th anniversary will be celebrated on 18 June (15).