PRINCE Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein they should “keep in close touch” in an email – two months after he claimed he cut off contact with the paedo.

Bombshell court documents have revealed new details about the Duke’s friendship with the disgraced financier – and contradict the royal’s claims.

In his infamous car-crash Newsnight interview, Andrew, 64, claimed he severed ties with Epstein in December 2010.

He said he didn’t see or speak to Epstein after they were pictured strolling through Central Park in New York City shortly after the paedo was released from jail for child sex offences.

But emails disclosed in a filing by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveal he spoke to Epstein in February 2011.

In an email, he told Epstein: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon.”

The emails have been exposed as the FCA defends an appeal by former Barclays Bank boss James Edward “Jes” Staley.

Banking chief Staley claimed he stopped direct contact with Epstein after joining Barclays in 2015.

But emails appear to show he was still in touch with the sex offender as late as December 2017.

The relationship with Epstein ultimately cost him his job as in 2023 he was fined £1.8 million for having “recklessly misled” regulators on his ties to the financier.

He was also banned from holding senior management positions in the financial services industry.

Emails previously revealed in 2023 also cast doubt on Andrew’s claims he cut Epstein off.

On February 28, 2011, Epstein wrote to Staley: “Andrew asked for your London schedule.”

Newly-released emails show Epstein emailed the Duke the day before to say: “Jes staley will be in London on next tue afternoon, if you have time”.

Andrew responded to clarify the date and added: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon.”

The royal has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the Epstein scandal – claiming he knew nothing of his criminal behaviour.

Court documents revealed last year claimed Andrew had an “underage orgy” with staying on Epstein’s private island.

An unnamed Jane Doe – widely understood to be his accuser Virginia Giuffre – was allegedly “forced” by Epstein to “have sexual relations” with the Duke of York.

She was allegedly told to “give the Prince whatever he demanded”.

In 2022, Andrew settled a civil sex assault case with his accuser Virginia Giuffre – sparing him a humiliating court battle over claims he raped and abused her when she was 17.

During his Newsnight interview in 2019, Andrew told Emily Maitlis: “I ceased all contact with [Epstein] after I was aware that he was under investigation and that was later in 2006 and I wasn’t in touch with him again until 2010.”

When she asked him if there had been any contact, he again stated: “No contact.”

Maitlis added: “Did you see or speak to him again?”. Andrew said: “No.”

Police in Florida began investigating Epstein in 2006, before he was sentenced to 18 months in jail for soliciting a minor for prostitution two years later.

He was then found dead in his prison cell in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

Late last year, the FBI’s investigation into Andrew and his friendship with Epstein was “parked”.

US cops paused their probe until “new evidence is presented that can move the case forward”.