Prince William was “shocked” by the killing of the stepson of his former nanny in the New Orleans terror attack.
Edward Pettifer, 31, of Chelsea, London, was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who served as Princes William and Harry’s nanny from 1993 until 1999.
King Charles is said to be deeply saddened by Pettifer’s death, reports say.
The Prince of Wales said “Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer”.
Pettifer was the eldest son of Camilla Wyatt, 58, the daughter of a racehorse breeder, and Charles Pettifer, 59, a former Coldstream Guards officer, who went on to marry Legge-Bourke, 59.
Legge-Bourke and Charles Pettifer have two sons, Tom, 22, who is Prince William’s godson, and Fred, 23, who is Prince Harry’s godson.
Tributes have been paid to Pettifer after the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed he was one of the people killed in the New Orleans terror attack.
The Met Police said family liaison officers are supporting Pettifer’s family and helping them through the process of returning his body to the UK.
Earlier on Friday the New Orleans coroner released the names and home cities of most of the people killed in the attack, but said they were withholding the identification of one man per request of the family “pending finalisation of international arrangements”.
The New Orleans coroner gave Pettifer’s preliminary cause of death as “blunt force injuries”.
In a statement, Pettifer’s family 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.”
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen and Afghanistan war veteran from Texas, is accused of steering a rented F-150 truck around a police blockade on Wednesday morning at around 03:15 (09:15 GMT) and slamming his vehicle into revelers.
Fourteen people were killed in the attack, as was Jabbar, who was shot dead by police. Thirty-nine people were also injured in the attack on the city’s French Quarter.
The identified victims of the New Orleans attack :
- Andrew Dauphin, 26, from Montgomery, Alabama
- Kareem Badawi, 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Brandon Taylor, 43, from Harvey, Louisiana
- Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, from Gretna, Louisiana
- Matthew Tenedorio, 25, from Picayune, Mississippi
- Ni’Kyra Dedeaux, 18, from Gulfport, Mississippi
- Nicole Perez, 27, from Metairie, Louisiana
- Reggie Hunter, 37, from Prairieville, Louisiana
- Martin Bech, 27, from New York City, New York
- Terrence Kennedy, 63, from New Orleans, Louisiana
- Elliot Wilkinson, 40, from Slidell, Louisiana
- William DiMaio, 25, from Holmdel, New Jersey
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a press conference the victims and their families “matter” to the entire city.
“Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the victim’s families,” she said.
The FBI say Jabbar exited the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before he was fatally shot by officers returning fire.
An Islamic State flag was attached to the vehicle used in the attack and two improvised explosive devices were found nearby, according to police.
The FBI said authorities found bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home Jabbar rented prior to the attack.
Jabbar tried to burn the house down by setting a small fire in a hallway and placing accelerants to help spread it, the FBI said.
The flames burned out before firefighters arrived.
Investigators said they initially believed the assailant did not act alone but have since said they believe he was acting alone.
Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden said the attacker posted a video which indicated he was inspired by the so-called Islamic State group.
Condemnation of the terrorist incident came from countries including Britain, France, Germany and Mexico, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying on Wednesday: “The shockingly violent attack in New Orleans is horrific. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, the emergency responders and the people of the United States at this tragic time.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said consular officials in the US would be on hand to help any British nationals affected.
The Foreign Office also said it was supporting the victim’s family and was in contact with US authorities.
