Prince William ‘Shocked’ After Learning Of Personal Connection To New Orleans Attack

Prince William expressed his grief on Saturday after learning that Ed Pettifer, the stepson of his former nanny, was killed in the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.

“Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer,” the Prince of Wales wrote on social media. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”

Pettifer, 31, lived in London, and the city’s Metropolitan Police announced his death on Saturday. He was visiting Louisiana with a friend, The Sun reported.

Ed Pettifer in a photo provided by the Metropolitan Police.
Ed Pettifer in a photo provided by the Metropolitan Police.
Metropolitan Police

Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who worked as a nanny for both William and Prince Harry in the 1990s, married Pettifer’s father in 1999. She is still close to both princes, and was reportedly named godmother to Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s 5-year-old son, Archie.

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Pettifer was one of 14 people killed on Jan. 1, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck onto a crowded Bourbon Street. Jabbar, a United States citizen who had declared his support for the terror group ISIS, was killed in a shootout with police.

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