8-across – Guzzler of fish swilling ales after lager : HARPSEAL

9-across – Twitchy finger’s back on the buzzer : HORNET

10-across – Slash the odds of unluckier attack : NUKE

11-across – Alcohol running part of battery in big car : LIMONCELLO

12-across – Cross about entering state, old European kingdom : SAXONY

14-across – Suppliers of fuel and I sport boring pants : GASPIPES

15-across – City captivated by caber-tossing? That’s novel : REBECCA

17-across – Pasta recipe with starter of veal in garlic sauce : RAVIOLI

20-across – Ballot fixing true? One is making things dirty : POLLUTER

22-across – Sea creature’s attempt to cut waste : DUGONG

23-across – Hip play in French theatre’s opening — each across solution has one : INSTRUMENT

24-across – Ostentatious rain-maker losing face : LOUD

25-across – Native American’s adopting Democrat moral codes : CREEDS

26-across – Run round hillock, holding horse back : ORGANISE

1-down – What model did — and you heard price is steep : SATURATE

2-down – It’s for fencing sheep enclosure, a little to the north : EPEE

3-down – Well I never form another union : REALLY

4-down – Robin’s coat maybe desirable with a fringe of gauze : PLUMAGE

5-down – Track round cool area in Asian region : CHINASEA

6-down – Uninhibited virgin with feel for dancing : FREELIVING

7-down – You can’t trust us, stealing pounds and getting the boot! : WELLIE

13-down – Cricketer welcoming European’s public remarks : OPENLETTER

16-down – Old thief’s put off, breaking into profanity : CUTPURSE

18-down – Pine lintel’s front being distressed : LANGUISH

19-down – Crown of laurel? : TREETOP

21-down – They have depressing experiences, topless : OWNERS

22-down – Female accepts writing on the wall in later years : DOTAGE

24-down – Fast time, but not for Pierre! : LENT

7-across – Mushroom bake’s filling consumed by Muslim : SHIITAKE

9-across – Quiet sound as a double knocked back? : MURMUR

10-across – State of Connecticut a horror : UTAH

11-across – Lying on cloth, white meat I cut, odd bits of herb scattered about : ECONOMICAL

12-across – Reportedly plod back : LUMBAR

14-across – Tug circled by cruisers getting bow clipped — that’s inauspicious : UNTOWARD

15-across – Exhausting at university struggling to make ends meet : HARDUP

17-across – See 22 down : DRIVER

20-across – Ninja elected by Charlie and Wally : ASSASSIN

22-across – Get lost following European character in Asian capital : MUSCAT

23-across – Nine kids author Charles initially mistreated — shabby of him? : DICKENSIAN

24-across – 21 November this year says: ‘I turn pud when mixing’ : STIR

25-across – African country spent money? : GUINEA

26-across – Mould blocking drain on the surface : SKINDEEP

1-down – See 11 : THETRUTH

2-down – See 11 : WITH

3-down – Calling nurse, ankle finally bandaged up : CAREER

4-down – Paul’s stout, kind of firm? : IMPORTER

5-down – Supporter with popular, swell ideas : BRAINWAVES

6-down – Young home help, OO I say? : AUPAIR

8-down – Flight due, so desperately stealing kiss : EXODUS

13-down – Stick turned wheels secured by nuts : BARRACKING

16-down – See 24 across : UPSUNDAY

18-down – Saw is, after all, not quite cutting grass : REALISED

19-down – Garment is resurrected? : UNDIES

21-down – Setter imbibing drink way down in Austria? : SKIRUN

22-down – Player, owner of small vehicle, we hear? : MINNIE

24-down – Team’s wing : SIDE

1-across – Final instructions I’m following for prince or king : WILLIAM

5-across – Put in charge by king or queen in spot where mace etc are kept : SPICERY

9-across – Villain dramatically trapping male monarch, say, finally : IMAGO

10-across – Eg king and queen making formal speeches : SETPIECES

11-across – Duke upset person : DESPONDENT

12-across – Unwanted messages monarch’s opening after spring : SPAM

14-across – Extremely lavish directions in information for buyers : PRINCELIEST

18-across – Writer about prince using computer I have changed, returned with complaint : MACHIAVELLI

21-across – Cheat man most removed in rank from king or queen : ROOK

22-across – I turn up so disturbed about a dethronement, possibly : USURPATION

25-across – Disadvantage in wobbliness about word ER avoids? : LIABILITY

26-across – Henry’s protege having Tudor name, up to a point : ELIZA

27-across – Queen’s location once, no good situation : SHEBANG

28-across – What devoted followers show ruling family initially changing side : LOYALTY

1-down – Royal vow about Irish oddball : WEIRDO

2-down – Communicate part of regalia is Edwardian : LIAISE

3-down – Moorish prince oddly represented in same structure : ISOMORPHIC

4-down – Silently reflected unlike Victoria, famously losing head : MUSED

5-down – Like evil so-called prince, a last Inca butchered : SATANICAL

6-down – Flag man honoured by monarch and I hoisted : IRIS

7-down – With prince, he revised code : ENCIPHER

8-down – English paper royal couple turned up in Californian park : YOSEMITE

13-down – How crowning moment arrives? You, we hear, may tell it otherwise : ULTIMATELY

15-down – Performing part of coronation that could make money : INVESTING

16-down – Jewels from Queen pocketed by damsel in distress? : EMERALDS

17-down – Conservative old boy included in excellent royal award : ACCOLADE

19-down – What’s satisfying about one answer, like Cordelia’s response to Lear : FILIAL

20-down – Like crowned head lying, hard? : UNEASY

23-down – One often on tabloid page? This is bigger than that : ROYAL

24-down – Help a princess on stage : AIDA

9-across – Cover us in garments, only the lining’s wearing out : OVERUSING

10-across – What troubles diner over in Hellfire Club : ULCER

11-across – Taking fifth of timber reserve, this spares trees : EBOOK

12-across – Aware of refusal to enter when kit’s off : INTHEKNOW

13-across – Day in babyish outfit not unknown for rowdy girl : LADETTE

14-across – What could be nature’s providers of refreshment : TEAURNS

17-across – A few crossing miles to war zone : SOMME

19-across – … for example, is so in love with two dates : ODD

20-across – … how amazing to tuck into case of Sancerre : SCORE

21-across – American cleans boxes Jack orders : ADJUSTS

22-across – Male criminal in resting place in court : CAMELOT

24-across – Games and trips straddling bovid in compounds : PEROXIDES

26-across – Where criminal’s sent, not ultimately a mixer : TONIC

28-across – Extremist drawing back after cult’s uncovered : ULTRA

29-across – The sea can be so blue : ATALOWEBB

1-down – … classical star back in tune : SOLE

2-down – … post filled by commander : SECOND

3-down – … rich man with rich lady’s holding peg : MUSKETEERS

4-down – It follows like one breaking into joyful expression : SIMILE

5-down – The thing’s set in stone, getting Democrat in a tizz : AGITATED

6-down – … of twelve from US capital without a university : JUNE

7-down – Composed a 20 in outline of work : SCENARIO

8-down – … on breaking eg gents up : CREW

13-down – Kardashian’s derrière in Hollywood area, generating a kind of fever : LASSA

15-down – … /08 from fool with initiative initially lost : ASSUMPTION

16-down – … is said to be so small, in a way : SWEET

18-down – … current gutless Tory follows Tory : MAJORITY

19-down – Old rock band is one for rock : OBSIDIAN

22-down – Relaxed state houses equally posh : CASUAL

23-down – Lover who swam out of area, one generating interest? : LENDER

24-down – Look grumpy? P_ off! : POUT

25-down – … /12 a degree in excess, we hear : XMAS

27-down – … for example, prompt to tour Benin’s capital : CUBE

1-across – Take drink to 6 across merchants : SUPPLIERS

6-across – Put back the necessary file, for example : TOOL

8-across – Kid evidently hungry as talented ballplayer? : DRIBBLER

9-across – Cocktail 6 across : GIMLET

10-across – Description of coils 13 down, loosely speaking? : TWIRLY

11-across – Spooner’s task that’s all there for 6 across : CHAINSAW

12-across – Done, 6 across picked up? : SPAYED

15-across – Paint two animals, first of sketches framed : EMULSION

16-across – Lovely work of art by Frida, originally : FETCHING

19-across – Shot some thief for thievery : EFFORT

21-across – Fit agent welcoming a swim on vacation : PAROXYSM

22-across – See 1 down : DRIVER

24-across – 6 across in which one may have a hand? : PUPPET

25-across – Bali without a leader of course, after Peru sacked country such as Indonesia : REPUBLIC

26-across – Too high a price to pay for love : DEAR

27-across – Show on offer : REPRESENT

1-down – Cocktail 6 across : SCREW

2-down – Development of teenager by provocation initially true to form : PUBERTY

3-down – Sweetbread? : LOLLY

4-down – Pain hard in each competition : EARACHE

5-down – Air gun set new mark : SIGNATURE

6-down – Leader on tour is saving 30 seconds, good for when events happening : TIMINGS

7-down – Old dragon essentially in contemporary music lover : OPERAGOER

13-down – Impulsive revolutionary less wild in embrace of virgin : PREMATURE

14-down – Newspaper: one invested in art with lady’s boobs : DAILYSTAR

17-down – Gas absorbed by metal 6 across : CHOPPER

18-down – Stick cut off sweet : GUMDROP

20-down – Plaything thrown away, is one busy at the end of the working week? : FRISBEE

22-down – Twofold, learner’s cutting 6 across : DUPLE

23-down – Author with fine material written up : ELIOT