Crossword Genius

Secret hostelry supported by Her Majesty (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

inner

'secret' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'hostelry supported by her majesty' is the wordplay.
'hostelry' becomes 'inn' ('inn' can be a synonym of 'hostelry'**).
'supported by' means one lot of letters go next to another (letters go below - in down clue).
'her majesty' becomes 'er' (Elizabeth Regina).
'inn'+'er'='INNER'

(Other definitions for inner that I've seen before include "Located inward" , "Exclusive to a center" , "Nearer to the centre, deeper" , "Area near to bull's-eye" , "(Hit on) part of target immediately next to the bullseye" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.