Pints with Xi and Yeltsin banging on local pub’s door: Chequers and its history of hosting world leaders
A country house in the scenic Chiltern Hills is the scene for Donald Trump’s meeting with Sir Keir Starmer today – as we outline in the post below this one.
Chequers, as it’s known, has been the prime minister’s residence for more than a century and has hosted a long line of world leaders.
It was given to the nation after the First World War by Lord Lees, one of then Prime Minister David Lloyd George’s ministers.
It was around that time that Lloyd George planted an oak tree on the grounds, which still stands today.
Originally, Chequers was explicitly for “the rest and recreation of prime ministers”.
For years, Chequers was used for just that – relaxation with its tennis court, rolling grounds and swimming pool, and for the private entertainment of political allies.
Keen artist Winston Churchill is said to have taken his brushes to “improve” the depiction of a mouse on an oil painting by Rubens hanging on the wood-panelled walls.
Margaret Thatcher usually spent Christmas there and liked to use visits to what she called “Chequers church” for impromptu soundbites for the media.
Tony Blair had to get special permission from the trustees to use the house for a TV interview after Labour accepted a £1m donation from Formula One.
A history of hosting world leaders
An invitation to Chequers has become the biggest honour the prime minister can bestow on visiting foreign leaders.
Blair held intimate meetings there with both President Bill Clinton and his successor, George W Bush.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel liked the Buckinghamshire countryside so much she asked for a return visit. She then went for a ramble with David Cameron, who ended up having to help the chancellor climb over a barbed wire fence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pulled a pint in the nearby Plough pub and joked about buying it.
After another long Sunday lunch at the Plough, Cameron’s motorcade swept out, leaving his young daughter Nancy behind.
Sir John Major often tells how when he turned up with former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin before opening time – the landlord refused to believe the Russian president was banging on the door.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source news.sky.com ’
