Prince William has been left "shocked and saddened" by the death of his former nanny's stepson

William - who is godfather to Tiggy's son Tom - wrote on social media: "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."

Buckingham Palace have confirmed William's father, King Charles, was told about Edward's death through official channels and was "deeply saddened" by the news.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reports it is understood he has been in touch with his family to share personal condolences.

Edward was the son of Charles Pettier and his first wife Camilla Wyatt. The former Coldstream Guards officer went on to marry his old friend Tiggy - who was nanny to William and his younger brother Priince Harry from 1993 until 1999 - and they had sons Fred, now 23, and Tom, 22 together.

His 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."

Tiggy has maintained a close relationship with both William and Harry - who is godfather to Fred - over the years - and now runs a bed and breakfast.

The New Orleans tragedy saw 14 people lose their lives when Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove a pick-up truck into a crowd in the city's French quarter. He was later killed in a shoot-out with police.