Read Queen Elizabeth's 'Withering' One-Word Response to Favorite So' Andrew's Epstein Scandal

OK! can reveal Queen Elizabeth II had a single, devastating word for her son ex-Prince Andrew when he laid out his account of the Epstein scandal – a response sources tell us was deliberately "withering," and the monarch's way of expressing profound anger without raising her voice.

The moment came as the then-Prince Andrew, now 65 and stripped of his royal titles, faced the most serious crisis of his life, after allegations linked to his friendship with convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein detonated into a reputational catastrophe for both him and the monarchy.

Andrew's BBC Newsnight interview with journalist Emily Maitlis on their bond was widely viewed as disastrous, accelerating his withdrawal from public life and leading ultimately to the loss of his royal titles last year.

The scandal has now resurfaced amid claims Andrew – now known only as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after having his royal titles taken away – remained in contact with Epstein for longer than previously acknowledged, alongside new extracts from a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre.

Epstein's s-- trafficking victim Giuffre, who took her life last year at age 41, alleged she was forced by the abuser and his pimp Ghislaine Maxwell to have s-- with powerful men, including Andrew, when she was 17.

The ex-prince has always denied the claims, insisting he has no recollection of meeting Giuffre and arguing that a photograph showing them together was manipulated.

Epstein died by an apparent suicide in his jail cell in 2019. In 2022, Andrew settled Giuffre's civil sexual assault case against him in the U.S. for an undisclosed sum reported to be as much as $15 million, without any admission of liability or wrongdoing.

According to royal biographer and close family friend Gyles Brandreth, the late Queen listened closely when Andrew gave her his version of events.

In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Brandreth writes the monarch "listened carefully" and replied to his account with just one word: "Intriguing."

Brandreth also recalled a conversation with a senior courtier over the scandal writing: "There was a lot of nonsense talked about no one being at the helm, but the Queen took a firm grip of things."

Sources say the brevity of the Queen's response was no accident.

One palace insider added: "That single word 'intriguing' was icy by design, and was delivered that way, with heaps of sarcasm. It was Elizabeth's way of signaling deep displeasure and scepticism without engaging emotionally. When she was angry, she often used restraint rather than rebuke, and this was as withering as it gets."

Despite her misgivings, the Queen moved swiftly to contain the damage.

She agreed to help facilitate Andrew's settlement by making a personal $2.5 million donation to Giuffre's charity, structured carefully to avoid any suggestion that she was compensating an accuser directly.

A royal insider said: "It was impossible for her to appear to directly compensate someone who had accused her son of sexual assault. Instead, advisers devised an arrangement that allowed a substantial sum to be channeled into the settlement through a charitable contribution, keeping the Queen at arm's length from any personal payment."

Publicly, the Queen also demonstrated support for her son, appearing with Andrew on a horse ride through Windsor Great Park shortly after he stepped back from royal duties. Days later, Buckingham Palace confirmed the consequences.

"With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen," its statement said. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."

Another source said the Queen's response has taken on new resonance since her death. They added: "That single word captured her anger, her dismay, and her verdict all at once. It was a classic display of Elizabeth's authority – restrained, economical and powerful enough to communicate everything without elaboration."