Prince William was shocked by the death of his oldest son

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

The 31-year-old suspect was among 14 people who died in a car attack on New Year's Day.

His stepmother Alexandra Pettifer, formerly known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, looked after Prince William and Prince Harry in the 1990s.

Prince William said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Pettifer's family and all those innocent people who have been tragically affected by this terrible attack.”

It comes after palace sources said King Charles was “deeply saddened” by the death and had been in contact with Mr Pettifer's family.

The January 1 attack saw the 42-year-old US Army veteran drive a truck into crowds on New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street before being shot by police.

The New Orleans coroner gave Mr Pettifer's initial cause of death as “blunt injuries”, the PA reported.

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

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

The suspect, whose name is Shamsud-Din Jabbar, he is believed to have acted alone “in a planned and malicious act”, the FBI said.

It added that a flag of the Islamic State group was found inside the car.

Two explosive devices were also found nearby, according to police.

A famous American college football player, a young nurse as well the mother of a four-year-old child is among the victims.

At least 39 people were injured in the attack, which took place in the city's French Quarter – a bustling area popular with locals and tourists – at around 03:15 (09:15 GMT) on Wednesday.

Some of the injured have been released from the hospital – but there are more than ten, others are being treated in the ICU.

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

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

“We will all miss him dearly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost family members to this terrible incident.

“Please let us grieve the loss of Ed as a family privately. Thank you.”

In a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said it supports Mr Pettifer's family.

Ms Pettifer joined King Charles' staff in 1993 when he became the Prince of Wales.

He became a close friend of the young princes following the separation of Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales.

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

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