British authorities have identified one of the casualties from the New Year’s Day incident in New Orleans as Edward Pettifer, whose stepmother previously served as a nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry.
King Charles III of Britain is reportedly “deeply saddened” by the revelation that Mr. Pettifer, aged 31, was one of the victims of the tragic truck-ramming incident that claimed 14 lives in New Orleans during the early hours of January 1.
Mr. Pettifer’s father, Charles, a former officer in the British army, wed Tiggy Legge-Bourke in 1999, shortly after she ended her tenure as the nanny for Prince William and Prince Harry.
It has been “understood that the King was… deeply saddened, and he has reached out to the family to offer his personal condolences,” according to a report from the UK’s Press Association news agency.
In 1993, Charles hired Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now known as Pettifer, who had longstanding connections with the royal family, as a nanny for William and Harry following his separation from Princess Diana.
“The entire family is devastated by the heartbreaking news of Ed’s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend to so many,” the Pettifer family expressed in a statement.
“We will all miss him profoundly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost loved ones in this dreadful attack,” they added.
Prince William conveyed that he was “shocked and saddened” by the news of Pettifer’s passing.
In a personally signed message shared on the Kensington Palace social media platforms, he stated: “Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pettifer family and all those innocent individuals who have been tragically affected by this horrific attack. W.”
