VICTORIA’S DESCENDANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 389, 25 June 1928, Page 2

VICTORIA’S DESCENDANT

TRUST LASTS TILL AFTfd THEIRJ^ATHS^ STRANGE WILL IN COURT Oil the ground that it was ah. impossible to trace ail the ants of Queen Victoria, the vitotof a clause in the will of Mr. James Viilar. of Taunton, was -- tioned before Mr. Justice AstburT’’ the Chancery Division. 3 * The clause created a trust to tinue until the death of the last , Queen Victoria's descendants. " 0: For the Public Trustee, Mr Stia, contended that since the wh/a clause had become void. The £ cendants included members of Russian Royal Family, whose tZ could not now be definitely asns tained. and members of the Gen,,. Royal Family, who might not y traceable because of their comoars. tive obscurity. Mr. Justice Astbury: I should thht the German Royal Family would iy rather astonished if you told that that they were not well known. seems extraordinary to suggest tin; Queen Victoria's descendants hjn become an unascertalnable crowd In A.D. 2023! Sir Thomas Hughes, K.C. who n. presented the testator's marritc daughter, said that, as the trust *£. to continue for 20 years after th 6 death of the last descendant, the «. pectation of those entitled to the re. sidue might be deferred until 2028. In 1922 the living descendants of Queen Victoria numbered about 120. and they were scattered all oTer the world. It would he almost impossible to ascertain who was the last survivor of Queen Victoria’s descendants, andtis result would he that the trust wouid go on for ever. Mr. Justice Astbury said he had tie gravest doubt as to the validity of the will, and if he could see his way to hold that the capital gift so restricted was invalid he would do so; but there was no authority which etabled him tc come to that decision. The difficulty of tracing all Queen Victoria’s descendants was not suScient to make the gift bad. ‘I hope,” he concluded, "that somebody will take this case to a higher court, and that my decision will be reversed.”