Celebrated playwright Sir Peter Shaffer, who died last year, left almost his entire £1.7million estate to charity.

Probate records reveal Sir Peter, who wrote Equus and Amadeus, bequeathed 40 per cent of his money to the Terrence Higgins Trust, an HIV charity, in memory of his partner, Robert Leonard, who died in 1990.

It was stipulated half of that money should go to its Lighthouse hospice in west London.

Sir Peter, who died in June 2016 at the age of 90, also gave all shares and interest in his company, Peter Shaffer Ltd, to his own charitable foundation.

The remaining 60 per cent was split equally between the National Trust, English Heritage and the Prince’s Regeneration Trust.

He also excused loans he had made to his nieces, Claudia and Cressida Shaffer. Sir Peter lived in New York, and this estate includes only British-held assets.