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, cared for Prince William and Prince Harry in the 1990s.
The 1 January attack saw a 42-year-old US Army veteran drive a pick-up truck into crowds along New Orleans’s famous Bourbon Street before being shot dead by police.
Palace sources said King Charles was “deeply saddened” by the death and has been in touch with Mr Pettifer’s family.
On Saturday, Prince William also commented on the tragic death: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”
His half-brother Tom, who is a godson to William, was a page boy at the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.
Charles and Camilla are currently residing on the Sandringham estate after spending Christmas at the Norfolk royal residence, as is tradition for the royals.
The Royal Family attended a Christmas Day service at the same church, where they were greeted by crowds of well-wishers. Alongside the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales were also in attendance at Sandringham over the holidays.
The Princess of Wales was seen joyfully conducting the walkabout with her husband Prince William and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
A Buckingham Palace source has recently said the 76-year-old’s health is still being”‘managed” after his cancer diagnosis in 2024, but is “moving in a positive direction”. The Palace source added: “His treatment has been moving in a positive direction, as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into the new year [2025].”
