5  Maybe Sweeney Todd made an offensive remark to the Queen (6)

10 Optimistic - like a typical Englishman (7)

11 Taught you French and German by rote? That's unusual! (7)

12 See anger in French valley ... (5)

13 ... where Sun King also cavorted about (5)

14 Drink and drugs on trains (3)

15 Sound gent 17d is going out with a cutie (4,9)

19 Beginning golfer? (7,6)

21 Return first prize (3)

22 Charlie's bullets ricochet around Mark (5)

23 An occasional sherry with a group of women might make one better informed (5)

24 It's a drag entertaining exceptionally rich English composer (7)

25 Routine operation at the pre-natal stage (2,5)

26 A bit of a fry-up for a sheriff to tuck into (6)

27 Runner's more complacent about first loss (8)

 1  American cell for gangsters found on French island (6)

 2  Stacks of models have interest up front (7,8)

 3  Setting for Wagner's Ring principally - first hit in English (5)

 4  Philosopher:"After Major's blunder with tart I mull." (4,6,4)

 6  Perhaps George Clooney's account's a bit steep - it might be (5)

 7  With one abstention EU accepts the Queen's right over Article 50. Donald's beginning to come on board. He's done the maths (8,7)

 8  Saved - right where English river meets the sea (8)

 9  4d's view of Ilium:"It's a train-crash." (14)

16 Soldier leaves the front line in a vehicle (3)

17 Priest's over is over - but it's not over! (3)

18 This may fix bugs in air traveller's defective app (8)

20 The king's lover's coming over for the night - we're told it's an old habit (6)

22 American sandwiches - a bit of pasta - or a French snack? (5)

23 Forced to flee Gateshead after one week (5)