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Also good to see Ricky Martin turning up again (was the plural version in the Everyman a few months back)

Hi PS,

9a - this particular "monarch" has wings.

5a - "mace" or nutmeg etc.

20d - A Shakespearean reference.

PS ...

26a - Does end in A - "Henry's protege" is presented as a "royal" but isn't:-)

Being a bit slow again I'm afraid ;)

9A: I can't find a species of that with what fits but it is the state insect? It doesn't fit the rest of the clue.

5A: What I first thought of from your clue isn't in Chambers :( but it looks like a word anyway so I'm writing it in.

20D: Can't find anything that fits from Billy Shakes' works at a brief glance so I'm guessing 26A does not end with A

Ok I get the Henry's (Enery's?) protege thing now so 26A I have correct.

23d I think relates to a size of paper which is literally bigger than a tabloid page.

Yes, that's what Chambers online had as one of the meanings.

Ahh! That is brilliant and makes perfect sense - many thanks BlimeyOReilly:-)

I've convinced myself 5A I now have correct and I can see "spot" and "queen" in the answer but can't see a king anywhere :/

9A I'm guessing isn't a state and I should be thinking of something else

20 I'm guessing is not what trainers (shoes) might be described as, if it's from shakespeare, which I'm not very good at :(

I still can't parse 25A at all but I'm pretty sure I have it correct.

PS,

5a - "king" is the penultimate letter.

9a - It is "finally" a "monarch" but in its initial stage it's an ........

20d - It's really difficult to think of a clue but I think the saying is from Henry IV

25a - Is a word I have never heard used before that can mean "wobbliness" around a pronoun that "ER avoids" - definition is "disadvantage" .... sort of!?