A British man slain in the attack in New Orleans was a former royal nanny’s stepson

Edward Pettifer, a 31-year-old Londoner whose stepmother worked as a nanny for Prince William and Prince Harry, has been identified by British authorities as one of the victims of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans.

A U.S. Army veteran who had sworn allegiance to Islamic State crashed a truck into a group of partygoers, killing him and 14 others.

In a statement released by London’s Metropolitan Police, Pettifer’s family said, “The whole family is devastated at the tragic news of Ed’s death in New Orleans.”

The revelation, according to William and his wife Kate, “shocked and saddened” them.

He sent a statement on social media that said, “The Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack remain in our thoughts and prayers.”

According to a royal source, King Charles was likewise very upset to hear of Pettifer’s passing and had communicated his own sympathies to the family.

Shortly after Tiggy Legge-Bourke resigned as William and Harry’s nanny, Pettifer’s father, Charles, a former British army commander, married her in 1999.

In 2011, Pettifer’s stepbrother Tom served as a page at William’s wedding, and the family maintained a strong relationship with British monarchy.