Who is the ex-royal nanny who lost her son in the New Orleans attack? Tiggy Legge-Bourke was once falsely accused of being King Charles’ mistress, and was nanny to Princes William and Harry

Jan 7 , 2025

Former British royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke is back in the spotlight after her stepson was killed in the New Orleans truck attack. Photo: Getty Images

The ex-nanny to Princes William and Harry has remained a close confidante to the royal family, even serving as godmother to Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie

King Charles was reported to be “deeply saddened” after police said a British relative of his sons’ former nanny was among the victims of the deadly truck-ramming attack in New Orleans.

Edward Pettifer, 31, who died in the atrocity, was the stepson of Tiggy Pettifer, the former nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry.

Tiggy Legge-Bourke’s stepson Edward Pettifer was killed in the New Orleans truck-ramming attack. Photo: Reuters:

Heir to the throne Prince William said he and his wife Catherine had also 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,” he wrote on the couple’s Kensington Palace social media account.

In the history of royal nannies, Tiggy Legge-Bourke – whose married name is Alexandra Pettifer – is probably the most well-known and arguably the most controversial one. But she recently cleared her name of the “totally unfounded allegations” about her supposed relationship with then Prince Charles, per People. Legge-Bourke looked after Prince William and Prince Harry from 1993 to 1999.

Tiggy Pettifer, whose maiden name is Tiggy Legge-Bourke, the former royal nanny, received a payout from the BBC in 2022. Photo: Getty Images

In 2022, Legge-Bourke made global headlines after winning her defamation case against the BBC and receiving a substantial payout.

So, who exactly is Tiggy Legge-Bourke and where is she now?

Tiggy Legge-Bourke’s family’s close ties to the royals

Prince Harry talks to his former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke at his passing-out at Sandhurst Military Academy, in 2006. Photo: Getty Images