King Charles III has expressed his “deep sadness” over the death of the British Edward Pettifer, who died on January 1 in the New Orleans attack. The young man, 31, was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, the former nanny of Princes William and Harry in the 90s, according to ‘The Telegraph’.
The monarch has been contacted with Pettifer’s family to convey his condolences at this devastating moment, according to British media reports, citing official sources from Buckingham Palace.
For his part, Prince William of England has expressed his “shock and sadness” for the death of Pettifer on the X account, formerly Twitter, of the Princes of Wales. The heir to the throne maintains a close bond with his ex-nanny’s family. In fact, Edward’s stepbrother Tom is his godson and even was one of the pages at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011.
“Catalina and I are shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer,” Guillermo said in a published statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pettifer family and with all the innocents tragically affected by this terrible attack,” he noted.
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
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 4, 2025
It was not until this weekend that the London Metropolitan Police confirmed that a British citizen was among the deceased. «The whole family is devastated “due to the tragic news of Ed’s death in New Orleans,” the young man’s relatives said in a statement, describing him as a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend.”
The attack in New Orleans
During the New Year celebration, a man identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar ran over a crowd with a truck who was celebrating the beginning of 2025 in New Orleans. It left at least 14 dead and more than 30 injured.
The coroner reported that Petiffer’s cause of death was “blunt force injuries”according to the Press Association news agency. After the attack, the Police found an Islamic State flag and several explosives in the car of Jabbar, who died at the scene, shot down by the agents after opening fire on them.
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