Chequers Estate Act 1917

IX.—General ProvisionsU.K.

15U.K.It being one of the main objects of the settlor that the present external and internal features of Chequers shall be preserved intact as far as possible it is hereby expressly declared that:—

(a)The name of “Chequers” shall never be changed:

[F1(b)In the exercise of their powers of sale leasing exchange and raising money in relation to land comprised in the Chequers Estate (other than the mansion house and the gardens adjacent thereto) and of their powers under clauses 8c and 8e hereof and generally in the exercise of their powers of management the administrative trustees shall have regard to the need for preserving the enjoyment of the mansion house and the gardens adjacent thereto as a suitable country residence for the Prime Minister and in particular shall refrain from making any avoidable change in the distinctive features and character of the said mansion house and gardens.]

[F215aU.K.For the purposes of the application of any provisions of the M1Settled Land Act 1925 in accordance with any of the preceding clauses hereof (including the application of any such provisions by virtue of section twenty-nine of that Act in accordance with clause 8a hereof) any reference in those provisions to the settlement shall be construed as a reference to these presents and any reference to the settled land shall be construed as a reference to the Chequers Estate.]

16U.K.If and as the settlor and Lady Lee or the survivor of them desire to improve the collections of furniture pictures tapestry books china works of art silver linen and other effects hereby settled during their lives and the life of the survivor of them or during such shorter period as they or the survivor of them shall remain in occupation of the Chequers Estate it shall be lawful for them or the survivor of them during such periods to add to weed out and improve by purchase sale or exchange any of the said collections of furniture pictures tapestry books china works of art silver linen and other effects which they or the survivor of them in their his or her absolute discretion may think capable of improvement or unworthy of being retained as the case may be.

17—19U.K. . . . F3

20U.K.If for any reason whatsoever the trusts of these presents should completely fail or if Chequers should be left unoccupied by any of the official persons for whose benefit the said trusts are intended for a continuous period of upwards of twenty consecutive years then and in such case if the settlor and Lady Lee or either of them shall then be living the whole of the real and personal estate comprised in and settled by these presents shall be conveyed and transferred free of expense to the settlor and Lady Lee or the survivor of them for their his or her absolute benefit but if both the settlor and Lady Lee shall then be dead then the whole of the said real and personal estate (except the pictures relics and works of art and the Chequers Trust Fund) shall be sold and the net proceeds of such sale shall be added to the capital of the Chequers trust fund which trust fund shall thenceforth be held by the Public Trustee Upon trust to pay the income thereof to the Trustees of the National Gallery in London to be applied by them for or towards the purchase of additional pictures for the nation and in that event the whole of the pictures relics and works of art hereby settled shall be handed over to the Trustees of the said National Gallery for exhibition in any of the National Collections.

21U.K. . . . F4