Prince William has issued a touching message after it was revealed the British man among those killed in a New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans was the stepson of his and Prince Harry’s former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke, Edward Pettifer.

Prince William took to social media on Saturday afternoon to express his and Princess Kate’s sadness over the tragic news.

In a personally signed post on X, William wrote: “Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack. W.”

It is understood that King Charles has also been informed through official channels about Mr Pettifer’s death and is said to be deeply saddened over tragic news.

He is understood to have been in touch with the family to share personal condolences.

The 31-year-old was the eldest son of Charles Pettifer, a former Coldstream Guards officer, and Camilla Wyatt, the daughter of a racehorse breeder, according to The Telegraph.

His parents divorced in the 1990s and his father went on to marry Tiggy Legge-Bourke, also known as Alexandra Pettifer, who used to look after the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex from 1993 until 1999. The couple married in 1999, and both princes attended the wedding.

The New Orleans coroner gave Mr Pettifer’s preliminary cause of death as “blunt force injuries”.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were supporting the family of Mr Pettifer, of Chelsea, who was killed in the attack in Bourbon Street, Louisiana.

They also said that family liaison officers are helping them through the process of returning his body to the UK.

Mr Pettifer’s family said in a statement: “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.”

Authorities have confirmed 14 people died and at least 35 others were injured when the suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, allegedly ploughed a pick-up truck through crowds of New Year revellers.

The attack took place in the city’s popular French Quarter at around 3.15am local time on New Year’s Day.

The New Orleans coroner added that one of those killed remains unidentified, with the others coming from the US – the youngest aged 18 and the oldest 63.