Prince Andrew has kept in constant contact with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, it has been claimed today.

The Duke of York, 59, invited Maxwell, 57, to Buckingham Palace in June, just a month before Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges.

But a source has now claimed the pair have been in touch by phone and email throughout the scandal over the prince's links to the convicted sex offender.

They claim there is an 'unswerving loyalty' between the pair, who both deny any wrongdoing despite their close relationships with Epstein.

A source claims Prince Andrew is in 'constant contact' with Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured with him in 2000) amid the ongoing scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein

Ms Maxwell, the 57-year-old daughter of late media tycoon Robert Maxwell, is accused of being Epstein's 'madam' who procured young girls for him to have sex with, a claim she denies

The source told the Sun: 'They have remained constantly in touch by phone and email. The Duke has an unswerving loyalty to Ghislaine and she is also very loyal to him.

'Ghislaine will do anything to protect the Duke and the feeling is mutual. They both share the same view they have done nothing wrong.'

There is no indication of how the source knows about Andrew and Maxwell's communications.

In his car crash Newsnight interview Andrew claimed he had not spoken about Epstein when he was last in contact with Maxwell because he 'wasn't in the news'.

Pictured: Ghislaine Maxwell in 2014 in New York City

He was arrested and later killed himself in his prison cell while still on sex trafficking charges.

Andrew and Maxwell, daughter of the late media mogul Robert Maxwell, met each other while she was at university.

The Duke claims he met Epstein through Maxwell, who was in a romantic relationship with him, in 1999.

She stayed silent after his death but newly released court papers reveal she admits recruiting women to 'massage' Epstein at least once a day.

The socialite denies procuring young women for Epstein to have sex with.

There has been mounting pressure on her and Andrew to come clean about their relationships with the paedophile and to assist US authorities in their investigations.

Andrew's attempts to clear his name with an interview with the BBC backfired to such an extent he was forced to step down from royal duties.

Maxwell has still not given any interviews but she gave a video statement to a New York court in a libel action brought by Virginia Roberts, who claims to have been Epstein's 'sex slave' and had sex with Prince Andrew three times.

In it she said: 'My job included hiring many people. There were six homes.

'I hired assistants, architects, decorators, cooks, cleaners, gardeners, pool people, pilots. I hired all sorts of people.'

Maxwell (pictured right in 2001) has still not given any interviews but she gave a video statement to a New York court in a libel action brought by Virginia Roberts (aged 17 centre), who claims to have been Epstein's 'sex slave' and had sex with Prince Andrew (left in 2001) three times

'A very small part of my job was to find adult professional massage therapists for Jeffrey.

'From time to time I would visit professional spas. I would receive a massage and if it was good I would ask them if they did home visits.'

In her evidence, Maxwell admitted knowing Ms Roberts, who is now 36 and goes by her married name Guiffre, was just 17 years old when she began giving massages to Epstein at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

She also claims to have slept with Andrew, 59, three times, including once in London in 2001 when she was just 17.

In his disastrous interview he denied ever meeting her and claimed a photo of them together was doctored.

Ms Guiffre Roberts will give a tell-all interview to BBC Panorama tomorrow night in a programme that will also probe Maxwell's involvement in Epstein's criminal activity.

Andrew said he would answer questions if asked to do so by the FBI in their investigation of Epstein and his estate.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman did not wish to comment when approached by MailOnline.