It was donated to the nation in 1917 by Lord and Lady Lee of Fareham as “a place of rest and relaxation for Prime Ministers”, as those who came to power increasingly had no estates of their own.
It was built in 1565 and costs taxpayers almost £1 million a year.
The Checkers Trust received a £916,000 ‘grant’ from the Cabinet in 2020-21 – an increase from £882,000 last year and £879,000 the year before.
The Grade I listed estate has walled gardens, a vast art collection and a half-kilometre drive through a valley lined with beech trees donated by Winston Churchill.
The planned nuptials aren’t the first time Johnson’s relationship with Checkers has proved controversial.
In March 2020, it was claimed that the then Mrs Symonds traveled between the provincial asylum and Number 10 despite strict lockdown rules.
The couple were also accused of hosting a baby shower there, six weeks before the birth of their son Wilfred and just days before Mr Johnson banned non-essential contact and all non-essential travel.
Meanwhile, the retreat’s top housekeeper is said to have left in 2020, just six months after Mr Johnson was elected, amid claims of a clash with Mrs Johnson.
Charlotte Vine has reportedly been paid after signing a non-disclosure agreement. Sources say there was wider tension between the prime minister and his wife and the staff at Checkers.
One told the Mirror: “It was chaos, ‘Can we come now?’ or ‘We’re coming tomorrow’.
“They were told they couldn’t because they weren’t staffed.”
A spokesman for Ms Johnson insisted there was no dispute.
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