Crossword Genius

Spite of male character associated with the Queen of Hearts (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

malice

'spite' is the definition.
(I know that spite can be written as malice)

'male character associated with the queen of hearts' is the wordplay.
'male' becomes 'm' (common abbreviation).
'character associated with the queen of hearts' becomes 'Alice' (as in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland).
'm'+'alice'='MALICE'

'of' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for malice that I've seen before include "Bitterness" , "Wrongful intention" , "Spiteful, animosity, sometimes a forethought" , "Ill will, a desire to harm others" , "Spitefulness" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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