What does the cryptic crossword clue "Sweet to swaddle an old king who didn’t rule the waves? (6)" mean?

The wordplay uses a deletion. AN (synonym="AN") in CUTE (synonym=""sweet"") = CANUTE The answer is CANUTE.

Sweet to swaddle an old king who didn’t rule the waves? (6)

Guardian Cryptic #29590 | 3 Down | 2025-01-13 flower