Across:
8 Step into someone’s boots (FILL IN) almost (g) providing help for restoring The Crown? (‘filling’ without ‘g’ = FILL IN),
9 Holiday (“break” = “brake” = BRAKE) report (= homophone indicator) by the writer (PAD) (BRAKE PAD) will help one to slow down (BRAKE PAD),
10 Take off (SHED) shrink-wrapped sides (‘shrink-wrapped’ sides = SHED),
11 Truants are (truants are = RESTAURANT) hiding (= anagram indicator) in canteen (RESTAURANT),
12 Any (“any” = “Annie” = ORPHAN) report (= homophone indicator) of Oliver? (Oliver = ORPHAN),
14 Spud’s (spuds = ROOT CROP) source (ROOT) cut short (CROP) (ROOT CROP),
15 They’re required in 11 across (TABLES AND CHAIRS required by “restaurant”) by the stockholders (stables) losing the head (s) (‘stables’ without ‘s’ = TABLES) as well as (AND) those running the committees (CHAIRS) (TABLES AND CHAIRS),
18 They’re responsible for a raid (STEALERS) of pilots (steers = STE-ERS) flying over a (-A-) port (port side = left = -L-) (STEALERS),
20 Guatemalan takes off gate (‘Guatemalan’ takes off ‘gate’ = umalan = MANUAL) with a set of instructions (MANUAL),
22 Offers a closer view of (BINOCULARS) the lookers for those with roving eyes (BINOCULARS),
24 Some quartermaster’s (some ‘quartermasters’ = TERM) prison sentence (TERM),
25 Plant (ALOE) opens very early, ripens and (opens “very early ripening and” = VERA) (ALOE VERA) produces cosmetic ingredient (ALOE VERA),
26 Election promise (TAX CUT) to charge (TAX) Lance (lance = CUT) (TAX CUT).
Down:
1 Stole from helicopter’s (‘stole’ from ‘helicopters’ = hicper = CIPHER) secret code (CIPHER),
2 Smoothly moved (SLID) litres out of distillers (‘litres’ out of ‘distillers’ = disl = SLID),
3 They’re competing for the jobs (ENTRANTS) as new (= anagram indicator) tanners (tanners – ENTRAN-S) around end of August (end of “August” = -T-) (ENTRANTS),
4 Stabilised sacrificing Delta’s (‘stabilised’ sacrificing ‘deltas’ = sbii = IBIS) leggy bird (IBIS),
5 Tried (HAD A GO) hotel (H-) with Bill (-AD) from the bar (Attorney General = A G-) – it’s only half OK (half “ok” = -O) (HAD A GO),
6 Clean up her (clean up her = LEPRECHAUN) novel (= anagram indicator) with a little Irish spirit (LEPRECHAUN),
7 You’d probably miss this proverbial (couldn’t hit a BARN DOOR, as the saying goes) Pub (BAR-) opening (DOOR) after (= position indicator) the end of autumn (the end of “autumn” = -N) (BARN DOOR),
13 Number of the teams in the Six Nations, for instance (HALF A DOZEN), get fair share (HALF) that’s key (music key A) to the rest (DOZE-) and has a bearing (compass bearing north = -N) (HALF A DOZEN),
14 Carries on (RANTS) writing (from the 3Rs = R-) to the workers (-ANTS) (RANTS),
16 Most of (r) 14 down (‘rants’ without ‘r’ = ANT-) inclines (-HILLS) (ANTHILLS) to be for underground workers (ANTHILLS),
17 Quote (C-ITE) about Band Aid’s (musical amps = -AMPS-) (CAMPSITE) space for outside accommodation (CAMPSITE),
19 Worked out (EDUCED) Oriental (east = E-) is primarily doing (primarily “doing” = -D-) engineering (-E-) in Dublin university (University College Dublin = -UC-D) (EDUCED),
21 Find it in one’s heart (ATRIUM heart cavity) to answer (A-) upstart (“up” start = -U-) in Meath town (-TRI-M) (ATRIUM),
23 Isn’t quite shut (AJAR) of a (A-) colonial regime (Raj = -JAR) review (= reversal indicator) (AJAR),
24 Message (TEXT) from 20 across, for instance (TEXT is from ‘manual’).