Above postcard, circa 1905, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard date unknown, with kind permission from Eric Hartland.

Above postcard, circa 1907, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, circa 1908, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, circa 1908, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, circa 1913. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard circa 1920, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, date unknown. Kind permission from Eric Hartland.

Above postcard circa 1934, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Showing the Chequers very clearly as a tied house, within the estate of Style & Winch's Medway Brewery, Maidstone.

Above photo 1957. Marquis Grimaldi, (center), pretender to the throne of Monaco who runs the "Chequers," chats with two of his villager customers, local undertaker Fred Morley (left), and librarian W.G. MacDonald.

The Marquis is known as "George" to the villagers, and his wife, the Marquise, is known as "Kay". They have two daughters, aged ten and eleven. The Marquis says his grandfather spent most of the family fortune establishing the line of descent, and that the line has been recognized by the College of Arms in England. The Marquis says it would take "Too much" money to press the claim to the throne, indicating no threat to Monaco.

George Frederick Ernest, 13th Marquess Grimaldi, was born on 23rd June 1908 in Highgate. He married Kathleen Elizabeth Cordon (1909-1991) in 1937 and had two daughters Vanessa (born 1944) Anne (born 1946.) George served in the RAF during WW2 and like his father, affirmed his claim to throne of Monaco, stating in 1962 "I have more right than Prince Rainer to be ruler of Monaco." However, like his father, he could do little to advance his claim, as he had neither the money, nor much support from within Monaco.

In 1949, George visited Monaco but on holiday, rather than to claim the throne. Following Prince Rainier’s wedding to Grace Kelly in 1956, George, acting "as head of the Grimaldi family" sent his congratulations and the two corresponded for some time after. Having only two daughters, on George's death in 1979, he was succeeded as 14th Marquis by his younger brother John Derek Grimaldi. John's only child was a son, who predeceased him. John Patrick Michael Grimaldi (1955-1983) was a guitarist in the rock band Argent, who died unmarried and childless. The 14th Marquess, who never publicly asserted any claim to the Monegasque throne, died in 1992, at which point the British male line of the 11th Marquess Grimaldi became extinct and the current claimant to the throne of Monaco is believed to live in Genoa.

Above postcard, circa 1971, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photos, date 2011.

Above photo, May 2014, kindly sent by Erik Hartland.

Above sign 1978.

From the https://www.mirror.co.uk By Karen Rockett, 8 November 2015.

Len Goodman snaps up a village pub for a cool £1 million and turns it into his home.

The Strictly judge has finally won planning permission to turn the boozer into a family home.

Strictly judge Len Goodman has bought a Grade II-listed village pub and turned it into his home.

He won planning permission to convert the 15th century Chequers Inn at Ightham, Kent.

It has a colourful history. As well as a coaching inn it has been a counting house, post office, auction room, coroner's office, trading post and even jail.

Len, 71, was spotted limping in the village after recent knee surgery which forced him to sit in a special chair on the show.

But once he is fit the 4,000 sq ft of living space in his home - thought to be worth around £800,000 - will give him and his wife, dance teacher Sue Barrett, plenty of room to waltz.

And the house's former use as a pub is not totally lost. It still has a beer cellar if Len fancies a tipple.