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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Zoe Forsey

Old Buckingham Palace letter casts doubt on when Prince Andrew met Jeffrey Epstein

A letter from Buckingham Palace written in 2011 has cast doubt on when Prince Andrew actually met his millionaire paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.

In his widely criticised interview with Newnight's Emily Maitlis, the Duke said he met the convicted sex offender in 1999.

However according to the BBC, a letter published in The Times eight years ago claims they met much earlier.

The Duke's then private secretary Alastair Watson wrote to the newspaper to address their relationship.

He wrote that the Queen's son had known Epstein "since being introduced to him in the early 1990s".

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Mirror Online that Andrew's words "speak for themselves".

Prince Andrew made claims about visiting a Pizza Express in Woking during an interview with Emily Maitlis (PA)

In the controversial interview, which aired on Saturday night, the prince denied an allegation that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured for him by Epstein.

However he said he did not regret their friendship. He has also been criticised for not showing compassion for his victims.

According to insiders the prince hoped to draw a line under the issue, but many viewers believe it left more questions than it gave answers.

According to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl , he now wants to do a second chat to "put right the things he didn't say".

Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre back in 2001 (REX/Shutterstock)

A source said: "There are rumors swirling that Andrew wants to do another interview.

"Andrew hasn’t drawn a line under it. He wants the chance to put right the things he didn’t say.

"Newsnight gave him the chance to show some remorse. He was asked if there was anything else he wanted to say. It was an open goal - he didn’t grasp it, and I think he sees that now."

However Buckingham Palace is "not aware" that anything is in the pipeline at this point.

A number of charities and organisations of which the Duke of York is a patron have declined to give details on how their relationship with Andrew might be affected following the interview he gave about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew with his mum the Queen (UK Press via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the Foundation for Liver Research said "we don't have anything to say at the moment. It is a matter for the trustees, who will consider it in due course."

A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's (NSPCC) said: "Prince Andrew was a patron of the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign, which ended in 2009."

The Royal Society only said: "HRH Prince Andrew Duke of York is a Royal Fellow of the Society. He was elected in 2013."

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust also confirmed that Andrew was a patron of the organisation, but refused to comment further.

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