Hexes by Stick Insect

Puzzle explanation

Extra and omitted letters from wordplay spelt out “Cath(h)erine, A(h)nne, Jane, An(h)ne, C(h)atherine, Catherine”, the six wives of Henry VIII. The interruptions represented H(enry) divorcing the first and fourth and beheading the second and fifth. The first five corresponding titles/surnames with the same interruptions, Ara(h)gon, B(h)oleyn, Seymour, Cle(h)ves, H(h)oward, are highlighted in the grid in the shape of Henry’s Roman numeral, leaving Parr to go below it.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Letter +/– Answer Explanation
Across
1 C+ BESTOWED BE + ST [quiet] + COWED
7 A– MORASS MOR + SS
12 T– CATECHU First letters
13 H+ BISE BISH + E
15 H– COHO Two definitions (COO)
16 E+ OAFISH E O + A + FISH
17 R+ SEALCHS SEARS + LOCHS – O
18 I+ SLAW WAILS <
19 N+ STOT ST about TON
20 E– HYPERON HYP + R + ON
21 A– TAHA THAT – T
23 H– HELVE ELVES – S
25 N+ MOHAWK MONK about HAW
28 N+ OLIGAEMIA (IMAGINE + TOTAL – T – T) *
32 E+ TAN NEAT <
34 J+ COLONY JOL in CONY
35 A+ CRUZEIRO CRU + ZAIRE * + O; bread = money
36 N– BANNER AD BANE + RAD
37 E+ RISS Two definitions (RISES)
38 A+ GORSY GORY about AS [all sections, insurance-related]
39 N– BARONETESS BATES about ROE + S
Down
2 H+ EARL HEAR + L
3 N+ STOA First letters
4 E– TEA WAGONS SAT < about (WAG + ON); wag² first appears in the 2008 edition of The Chambers Dictionary
5 C+ WHITE-EYE CHIT in WEE(k) + YE
6 H+ EUSOL US in HOLE *
7 A– MISHEARD HERD after MIS(s)
8 T+ REAP PATER <
9 H+ SOCRATISE SHOCK – K + SATIRE *
10 E+ SHH Hidden
11 R+ BOS’N Alternate letters
12 I+ CASTOCK (A + SIT) in COCK
14 N+ SEY YENS <
19 E+ SHANNY SHE + ANN + Y
22 C+ HILAR HIC + LARD – D
24 A– VICAR V + IC + R
25 T+ MOURN MOT about URN
26 H+ OZZIE (HE + I’ + Z + ZO) <
27 E+ KNOTS K + NOTES
29 R+ LOBO L + BOOR *
30 I+ MORA Two definitions (MOIRA)
31 N+ VEST VEN + ST
33 E+ ARDS READS *
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