Democrats in Congress released copies of the so-called "birthday book" after the documents were subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee last month.

The documents also include a note featuring a drawing of a woman's body allegedly signed by US President Donald Trump. The White House on Monday denied its authenticity and said the president "did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it".

The "birthday book" was put together by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's British co-conspirator and ex-girlfriend, who was convicted in 2021 of conspiring to traffic girls for sex. It is dated three years before allegations of sex abuse by Epstein became public in 2006.

When approached by the BBC, Lord Mandelson's spokesperson said that his connection to Epstein "has been a matter of public record for some time".

The spokesperson also referred to previous comments he made to the Financial Times, in which he said: "I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell."

The BBC has also approached the Foreign Office for comment.

A 2019 internal report by the bank JP Morgan, filed to a New York court in 2023, said that Epstein kept a "particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government".

In the "birthday book" letter, the former Labour cabinet minister writes that, after Epstein appeared in his life, he "would spend many hours just waiting for him to turn up".

"And often, no sooner were you getting used to having him around, you would suddenly be alone... again, leaving you with some 'interesting' friends to entertain instead."

The letter then includes a photo of Lord Mandelson with two women whose faces are obscured.

Lord Mandelson continues: "But wherever he is in the world, he remains my best pal!"

Following a photo of Mandelson sat with Epstein, he concludes: "Happy Birthday, Jeffrey. We love you!"

Along with the book, US lawmakers also released a trove of documents that include Epstein's personal address book and his will.

After the Wall Street Journal first reported on the existence of the "birthday book", Trump filed a lawsuit against the newspaper's reporters, publisher and executives, including News Corp's owner Rupert Murdoch, seeking $10bn (£7.4bn) in damages.

Epstein was first criminally indicted in 2006 in Florida on a state felony charge of solicitation of prostitution. He died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.