Mephisto 2572

[crockshard]

I have completed the grid, but can someone please explain why 1d: 'Anne's grandmother described in piece - having direct manner' (12, two words) is 'Queen Consort'. Apart from the obvious references to Princess Anne and a chess piece...Can the chess queen be said to make a direct theft, perhaps?

[slaney]

I think it's probably
queen = piece
con= direct as in steering
sort= manner.

[crockshard]

That makes sense! I just hate not to understand a clue!

[aeronut]

Please enlighten me if I am wrong, but Princess Anne is a grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and was not Queen Elizabeth a Queen Consort since she was the wife of a reigning king? Could not an alternative explanation of the "direct manner" relate to the fact that George VI in issuing new letters patent granted Anne the use of the Royal title. Otherwise she would have been known as Lady Anne Mountbatten.
Thus my explanation would go: "directed to the manner born," with no need to invoke a chess piece.