Prince Andrew reportedly now co-operating with Jeffrey Epstein investigators

Prince Andrew's legal team has reportedly begun communicating with US authorities. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Andrew's legal team has reportedly been in contact with prosecutors investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York was reportedly refusing to co-operate with the investigation into Epstein and knocked back requests to aid US officials.

But a spokesman for Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who is in charge of the investigation into the late billionaire's sex trafficking, told the UK's Telegraph that "there has been communication between both legal teams".

The news comes after Berman told media in January that Prince Andrew had provided "zero co-operation".

The New York Times later reported "three people familiar with the investigation" had backed claims that he had failed to assist with the inquiry.

Berman's spokesperson informed The Telegraph that "there have been communications through his attorneys, but we have been informed that he is not willing to submit to an interview".

Prince Andrew appears on BBC Newsnight with Emily Maitlis. Photo / Supplied.

The Guardian reported in late January that the Queen's son was "angry and bewildered" by claims he had refused to co-operate.

Just last week, Berman told The Guardian that the Prince had "completely shut the door" on co-operating with US investigators.

"Contrary to Prince Andrew's very public offer to co-operate with our investigation into Epstein's co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed via press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary co-operation and our office is considering its options," said Berman.

After being on the receiving end of stinging criticism amid the backlash to his controversial interview with the BBC last November, Prince Andrew declared he was "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required".

Virginia Roberts is at the centre of the Prince Andrew sex allegations. Photo / Supplied.

The disgraced duke then stepped back from public duties with the Queen's permission.
Andrew said it has become clear to him that his association with Epstein had become a "major disruption" to the royal family's work.

One of Epstein's alleged victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, says she was trafficked by notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein beginning in 2001 and made to have sex with Andrew three times, including once in London.

Andrew, 59, categorically denied having sex with Giuffre and said he had never met her.