Prince William, Who Has a Personal Connection to New Orleans Attack Victim, Is “Shocked”
On Saturday, Prince William and Kate Middleton sent their condolences to the victims of a New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans, revealing the tragedy’s connection to the royal family. Edward Pettifer, a 31-year-old British national, was among the 15 people who died in the attack, and according to the BBC, he was a stepson of Tiggy Pettifer, a former nanny to William and his brother, Prince Harry. In a social media message, William mentioned his connection to the Pettifer family.
“Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer,” read a personal social media message from William. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”
In a statement, the Pettifer family said they were “devastated” by the news of their son’s death. “We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack,” he said. “We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private”
Known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke during her years working as William and Harry’s nanny, the now-59-year-old was a source of support for the brothers during their parents’ tumultuous divorce and the 1997 death of Princess Diana. She worked for King Charles III from 1993 until she married Charles Pettifer in 1999; Edward was one of his two sons from a previous marriage.
Following her marriage, Harry and William have continued to have a relationship with their former nanny. (The BBC reports that Harry has been informed of Edward’s death but will not be commenting.) Tiggy’s son Tom Pettifer, born in 2003, served as a pageboy in William and Kate’s 2011 wedding at Westminster Abbey. Tiggy was reportedly asked to be a godmother to Prince Archie, the son Harry shares with wife Meghan Markle.
A Buckingham Palace source told NBC that the king was aware of Edward’s death and had shared his condolences with the Pettifers.
