Prince Andrew contradicted a letter from a senior aide about the timeline of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
When the Duke of York spoke to Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight last week, he said he had first met the disgraced financier through "his girlfriend back in 1999".
In March 2011, Andrew’s private secretary at the time Alastair Watson wrote to The Times to say the Duke met Epstein in the “early 1990s”.
Major Watson served in the role for nine years.
The letter, which was countering claims the duke was friends with Saif Gaddafi, ended: "Finally, there has been widespread comment on the duke's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
"The duke has known Mr Epstein since being introduced to him in the early 1990s.
"The insinuations and innuendos that have been made in relation to the duke are without foundation."
Epstein took his own life while imprisoned earlier this year.
