BRUSSELS, Belgium, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS/FP) - Belgium's Prince Laurent said Monday he had two "one-on-one" meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, after his name appeared in files related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender.

Laurent, King Philippe's younger brother, told the Belga news agency that the encounters, which happened at Epstein's request, date back to the early 1990s and the early 2000s.

The prince, 62, denied ever meeting the disgraced financier at "public or group events".

The clarification came after an earlier statement said Laurent had "never, directly or indirectly, attended an event" with Epstein and his entourage.

Laurent, who is not accused of wrongdoing, is among numerous high-profile figures referenced in the latest cache of Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice.

Earlier on Monday, the prince said Epstein reached out to him as he worked as an intern at the United Nations and, later, at a New York bank, seeking an introduction to his royal parents.

Laurent said he refused that and other overtures before being contacted again about a decade later, when the financier invited him to a Paris dinner with "a head of state and wealthy and influential men".

The prince said he declined the offer.

Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, died in 2019 by suicide while in jail awaiting trial for sex crimes against minors.

In September, Laurent revealed that he had fathered a son during a love affair with a Flemish model-turned-singer before marrying in 2003.