Symbolic by Jago

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle commemorated Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne, with DIAMOND JUBILEE and EIIR in the grid and a symbolic diamond shape formed by the required cell divisions. Highlighting MARM was not accepted as an alternative to EIIR because it’s a form of address to remale royalty, not a specific reference to Queen Elizabeth.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 SMARM SMA + RM
5 COLCANNON CANN in COLÓN
10 RHONA RHO + NA
11 AWEARY EA in AWRY
12 ELDERS 2 meanings
13 DENEB DENE + B(ethlehem)
16 PLESH HELPS *
17 FADE FA + DE
18 DRAPE APE after DR
19 YENS YE + N + S
21 BILE BIBLE − B
22 EARD EAR + D
24 CONVERSATIONAL (OVAL CONTAINERS) *
25 RAILWAY MUSEUMS (SUMMARILY AWE US) *
29 SLAP 2 meanings
31 REPO (spa)RE PO(sts)
32 ONCE (b)ONCE
34 EVERY (cl)EVER Y(oungster)
35 ULNA (UNL(ike) + A) *
36 SCOUR 2 meanings
38 NAPES N + APES
41 STAPLE (PLASTERING − RING) *
42 ACCEDE AC + CE + DE
43 GIANT GI + ANT
44 BETROTHAL (H(appiness) + OR BATTLE) *
45 GUEST homophone of GUESSED
Down
1 SEEPY near-homophone of C P; ref. novelist C. P. Snow
2 MILLENNIAL MAINLINE * around (L + L)
3 AIDES IDEAS *
4 MHOS (gri)M HOS(pitals)
5 CONFABS (ON + F) in CABS
6 CLAUDIA LAUD in CIA
7 AWARE A’ + W + ARE
8 NEED homophone of KNEAD
9 ORE 3 meanings
14 NARE ((Lon)E RAN(ger)) <
15 BEDLAMS LAM in BEDS
17 FUR F + (RU with “ends changed”)
18 DEIST (D + IST) around E(urope)
20 JEWRY homophone of JURY
23 RANUNCULUS (RAN + UN + US) around CUL(m)
24 COARSEN OARS in CEN
26 YPLIGHT Y(oung) P(eople) + LIGHT
27 MONDIAL MON + DIAL
28 UVA UV + A
30 PREP PRE + P(laytime)
33 ERECT ERE + CT
35 UREDO (Ens)URE DO(ctors)
37 COPSE E after COPS
39 ACE 2 meanings
40 SEER 2 meanings
41 SANG 2 meanings
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