THE Duke of Sutherland (81) yesterday denied a claim made in a new book that his sister, Lady Alice Egerton, was asked to leave Buckingham Palace because she tried to warn the queen that the Duke of Edinburgh had a flirtatious eye.
Lady Alice had been a lady in waiting to the queen for 12 years when she left service in 1961. She committed suicide 16 years later.
In the book, Elizabeth, A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen, by Sarah Bradford, an historian, to be published in April, it is claimed that Lady Alice tried to warn the queen about her husband's behaviour.
But the Duke of Sutherland broke a 20 year silence over his sister's death to tell the Mail on Sunday he denied the allegations, including a suggestion that she committed suicide because of her dismissal.
He said: "My sister left the queen because she had a mental breakdown. It is as simple as that - and as sad as that."
"I haven't seen these slurs against the queen yet, but I've been told of them. It's shocking.
"Alice was devoted to the queen and to the royal family. She had been with the queen since she was a young girl. I definitely believe that the stress of the job caused her to have the breakdown.
"After the breakdown she lived a very reclusive life - the illness was always with her until her death.
"But to suggest she was sacked because she attempted to tell the Queen of infidelities is totally absurd. I've never heard such a thing mentioned."
He added: "It was all a very long time ago and it's dreadful her name should come up now because of some book.
The newspaper quotes a senior royal observer as saying Lady Alice had become "excessively devoted" to the queen.
Buckingham Palace denied the allegations.