THE Queen responded to Prince Andrew's account of his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein with one word, a book has claimed.
Her late Majesty is said to have "listened carefully" when he gave her his version of events for the first time before saying: "Intriguing."
Biographer Gyles Brandreth wrote: "The Queen was always discreet and never said more than absolutely necessary.
"When Andrew recounted to his mother the whole sorry story of his friendship with convicted paedophile Epstein, she listened carefully and replied with a single word. 'Intriguing'."
He also claimed that the Queen had no hesitation in stripping Prince Andrew, long thought to be her favourite son, of his Royal duties.
One senior courtier revealed: "The Queen took a firm grip of things.
"To use the military jargon, there were only few days between flash and bang. Action was called for it and she took it."
But she deliberately allowed herself to be photographed the next day to show her personal support for him, it is said.
And she was also glad to have him beside her for Prince Philip's memorial service.
The rest of the family, however, were concerned that the image of him standing side-by-side with the Queen would dominate coverage.
The relations have been made in Gyles Brandreth's upcoming book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait.
The Queen's incredible stoicism during her final months will also be revealed in the biography, serialised in the Daily Mail.
Her late Majesty is said to have told a lady-in-waiting that she was determined to keep busy as it helped her cope with Prince Philip's death.
And she is said to have not wanted to give way to self-pity, saying: "My husband would certainly not have approved."
But she pushed herself so hard that by last autumn she suffered a sudden low energy and was advised by doctors to rest, Gyles Brandreth revealed.
It has also been claimed that she fought a painful cancer in her final year.
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