King’s Album by Stick Insect

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle marked the 950th anniversary of the death of King Harold, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. The grid shows the following items in their correct places: ARROW, EYE, SHIELD, HORSE, SWORD, AXE and the caption HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST (“King Harold is killed”). The extra letters from clues spelt “number of answers follows number of rows”, leading to the year 1066 (the grid had 10 rows and there were 66 clues). The puzzle’s title refers to the album Tapestry by Carole King.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
1 i(N) AUSTRIA AU + (STAR I) *
6 bo(U)rn SENECIO (NÉ + C) in OISE *
14 To(M) UNHAT UN + H + AT
18 (B)are CHARON CHRON around A
21 auster(E) TERF (aus)TER F(ields)
23 (R)over ECU (Mass-prod)UCE(d) <
24 R(O)am TUNE (TUP + NE) − P
25   DETER DEER around T
26 (F)it BINT B + IT around N
27 L(A)uds USES (L)U(d)S (g)E(e)S(e)
28   INDEW WIDEN *
29   STOITER S + (TORE IT) *
30 nu(N) EMULSIN (LIMES NU) *
31   DROVE D + ROVE
34   HORS H(ess) OR (Hes)S; ref. 15dn
36 (S)on MORE RE after MO
37   LIENS LIE + N, S (bridge partners)
39   ARAME (c)ARAME(l)
40   SIXTH SITH around X
42   WALESA (CASE LAW − C) <
46   TERENCE CENTRE * + E
48   SHAKOES SHES around (A + KO)
52   AIOLI OIL * after AI
54   UNGALLED GLANDULE *
55   IRRATIONAL IR + (ON A TRAIL) *
56 t(W)in NEBS (BE in SN) <
57   ENDURANCE END + U + RANCE
58   DENTURE INDENTURE − IN
59 ste(E)p GREEDS DS after GREE
60 (R)ace TEAR GAS (A + STAGE + R) *
61 (S)cars ESTATES (TEA SETS) *
Down
1   ACTIVATING ACTING around (I’ + VAT)
2   SANDRA S(teer) AND (stee)R + A
3 (F)ret TREE RET * + E
4   IN EYE YEN < in IE
5   ALTS SALT with S moved down
7   ERROR (t)ERROR
8   NEBISH NE + BISH
9 go(O) EXIT ET around XI
10 came(L) CINEMA (CAME IN) *
11 (L)ion INTRO ION * around (T + R)
12 F(O)ur OTTER TORTE *
13 s(W)ung NEUME NE + U + ME
14 las(S) URSULA UR- + LAS * around U
15 tee(N) HESS ES in HS; ref. Dame Myra Hess
16 corp(U)s ACTIN A + C + TIN
17 tea(M)-makers TURNSTILES (los)T + URNS + TILES
19   HUNDREDER HUN + DR + DEER *
20   DETOX OX after DET
22   FELIX ELI in FX
32   OMENS OM + ENS
33 (B)utter VENGED GE in VEND
35   EWKING WE < + KING
38   ECONUT E + COUNT *
40 be(E) SCANS CAN in SS
41 to(R)n THERA T + HERA
43   LERE (gent)LE RE(ader)
44 (O)bit SATES S + ATE + S
45 (F)light FLARE FL + A + RE
47 g(R)own RUBE ROBE with U for O
48 s(O)wing SLUE S(e)L(l) U(r)E(a)
49 (W)ar ADAR AD + AR
50   ORCA R in OC + A
51   SADE (Mos)SAD E(spionage)
52   AIN’T TINA *
53 Whi(S)t IOTA I(s f)O(ur)T(h-r)A(te)
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