His grandfather helped King George VI overcome his speech impediment and now Mark Logue has visited Sandringham to retrace his relative's footsteps.

The author has said he enjoyed his tour of the Queen's Norfolk retreat where his grandfather, Lionel Logue, had helped the King deliver his speeches.

Lionel's story was made into a film, The King's Speech, with his role played by Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth as King George VI.

Mr Logue said: 'He came up here from London almost every year from 1937 to 1944 on the early train to spend Christmas Day with the royal family until the Christmas speech.

'He would then make his way back to London on the last train to have a second Christmas meal with his own family and on at least one occasion the royal family sent him off with a hamper.

'I think he really enjoyed his visits to Sandringham and the fact he spent every Christmas Day here from 1937 to 1944 is proof he must have enjoyed spending time with the royal family.

'It was fascinating to see the workings of the house and I liked that Sandringham felt very much like a lived in house rather than just a place for the public to go.

'It was nice walking through the corridors knowing my grandfather had also walked along them.

'However I was expecting the room where the King made his speeches from to be smaller but then I think I was influenced by what I had seen in the film.'

He added: 'I thought the film was good and the tone of it was right. I was pleased that the intense beginning to their relationship and eventual strong relationship they forged was shown.'

After discovering his grandfather's diaries, Mr Logue wrote a book with journalist Peter Conradi called The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy.

As he rifled through the historic papers, he found details of all George VI's appointments with his grandfather neatly recorded on index cards and some detailed diary notes.

Mr Logue continued: 'I think he recognised the King was not just an ordinary patient and wanted to document his every involvement with him.

'I was hoping to have seen a picture of my grandfather at Sandringham but I didn't. I know there is one of the two of them together because it was written in his diaries.'

On his first patient card Lionel Logue had neatly written in the top corner that his latest visitor was His Highness The Duke of York.

He wrote in his notes: 'Has an acute nervous tension which has been brought on by the defect... is of a nervous disposition.'

And the therapist remarked the King is: 'Well built, with good shoulders, but waistline very flabby'.

George VI, who was born Albert Frederick Arthur George, became King on December 11, 1936 following the death of his father George V and the abdication of his brother Edward VIII.

Before ascending to the throne he dreaded public speaking due to a stammer.

This led him to engage the services of Mr Logue, an Australian-born self-taught speech therapist.

Lionel had only arrived in the UK two years before the King turned up at his Harley Street clinic on October 19, 1926.