The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MAYORESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
A
Y
O
R
E
S
S
More clues leading to the result MAYORESS
- Civic dignitary from Irish county on seagoing vessel
- Official state welcoming back king, say, shortly
- Official service covers times gone by
- Dignitary
- Local dignitary of long ago put into service
- Dignitary in service long ago
- Official leader of Slitheen Rose may reform
- Dignitary from Rome say, upset with end of mass
- Official due to leave Musee d’Orsay, sadly
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Local dignitary" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case local dignitary = mayoress.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MAYORESS mean?
MAYORESS noun- A female mayor.
- The wife of a (male) mayor.
- A daughter or female friend of a male mayor chosen by him to hold the title mayoress.