The Prince of Wales said he and Catherine were “shocked and saddened” by the death of his former nanny’s stepson, Edward Pettifer, who was killed in the New Orleans attack.

The 31-year-old was among 14 people killed in a vehicle attack on New Year’s Day.

His stepmother Alexandra “Tiggy” Pettifer, née Legge-Bourke, looked after Prince William and Prince Harry in the 1990s.

Prince William said: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all the innocent people who were tragically affected by this terrible attack.”

This came after palace sources said King Charles was “deeply saddened” by the death and had been in touch with Mr Pettifer’s family.

In the Jan. 1 attack, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran drove a pickup truck into crowds along New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street before being shot and killed by police.

The New Orleans coroner gave the preliminary cause of death for Mr. Pettifer as “blunt force injuries,” PA reports.

In a tribute, Mr Pettifer’s family described him as a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend to so many”.

Prince Harry has also been informed but will not comment publicly on the news.

The suspect named Shamsud-Din Jabbar is said to have acted alone in a “deliberate and evil act,” the FBI said.

A flag of the Islamic State terrorist militia was found in the vehicle, it said.

According to police, two improvised explosive devices were also found nearby.

A well-known American college football player, a young aspiring nurse and The mother of a four-year-old is also among the victims.

At least 39 people were also injured in the attack, which took place at around 3:15 a.m. (0915 GMT) on Wednesday in the city’s French Quarter – a busy nightspot popular with locals and tourists.

Some of the injured have been released from hospital – but more than a dozen remain, with some being treated in intensive care.

Mr Pettifer was from Chelsea, London named by the Metropolitan Police as one of the victims on Saturday morning.

His family said in a statement they were “devastated by the tragic news of Ed’s death in New Orleans.”

“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who lost family members in this horrific attack.”

“We ask that we, as a family, be able to grieve the loss of Ed privately. Thank you.”

Foreign Minister David Lammy said in a statement he was “extremely saddened by the tragic news that a Briton was among those killed in the New Orleans attack.”

“We support her family and stand united with the United States in the fight against terrorist threats,” the statement said.

Ms Pettifer joined King Charles’ staff in 1993 when he was Prince of Wales.

After Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales separated, she became a close companion of the young princes.

Ms. Pettifer often accompanied the two princes on vacation and, after Diana’s death, helped them adjust to the loss of their mother.

In 1999, Ms Pettifer – née Legge-Bourke – married security adviser Charles Pettifer at a private ceremony in Wales attended by William and Harry.