NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The British man among the 14 innocents killed Wednesday (Jan. 1) in the Bourbon Street terror attack had a link to his country’s royal family, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported Saturday (Jan. 4).
London Metropolitan Police identified the victim as 31-year-old Edward Pettifer, who lived in the Chelsea district of London.
The BBC reported that Pettifer’s stepmother Alexandra Pettifer — previously known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke — worked as a royal nanny caring for Princes William and Harry starting in 1993.
King Charles, himself the Prince of Wales when Legge-Bourke cared for his children, was reported to be “deeply saddened” by Edward Pettifer’s death and had contacted the man’s family to personally extend condolences, the BBC reported, citing “palace sources.”
The report said Legge-Bourke “became a close companion to the young princes following the separation of Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. … (She) often accompanied the two princes on holiday and, following the death of Diana, she helped them adjust to the loss of their mother.”
The BBC said William and Harry attended their former nanny’s wedding in 1999, when she married security consultant Charles Pettifer, Edward’s father.
London Metropolitan Police said in a statement that officers from its Counter Terrorism Command were supporting Pettifer’s family and that Family Liaison Officers “are providing specialist support and will guide the family through the repatriation and coronial processes, working with a range of international and government partners.”
Pettifer’s family issued a statement through Met Police that said, “The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed’s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack. We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private. Thank you.”
In a social media post from his official X account, Prince William wrote he was “shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer.”
