The London-born screenwriter, who had a stammer as a child, was inspired to write about the true story of how King George VI, on the eve of the Second World War, overcame his speech impediment.

Seidler died on Saturday during a fly-fishing trip in New Zealand, according to his manager Jeff Aghassi - US media reported.

Mr Aghassi said: "David was in the place he loved most in the world - New Zealand - doing what gave him the greatest peace, which was fly fishing.

“If given the chance, it is exactly as he would have scripted it.”

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His other work included the 1988 biopic Onassis: The Richest Man In The World - starring Raul Julia as the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis - for which Seidler won his first Writers Guild award.

The same year Seidler co-wrote Francis Ford Coppola’s comedy drama Tucker: The Man And His Dream.

Other projects included writing for the animated children’s musicals The King And I, Quest For Camelot and Madeline: Lost in Paris.