Cryptic crossword clue
Services, long ago held for local dignitaries 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word MAYORESSES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
M
A
Y
O
R
E
S
S
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "local dignitaries" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case local dignitaries = mayoresses.
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 MAYORESSES mean?

MAYORESSES noun
  1. A female mayor.
  2. The wife of a (male) mayor.
  3. A daughter or female friend of a male mayor chosen by him to hold the title mayoress.

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