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

His stepmother Alexandra Pettifer, previously known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, cared for Prince William and Prince Harry in the 1990s.

Prince William said: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.

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

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.

The New Orleans coroner gave Mr Pettifer’s preliminary cause of death 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 be commenting publicly on the news.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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.”

In a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said it was supporting Mr Pettifer’s family.

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

She became a close companion to the young princes following the separation of Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Ms Pettifer often accompanied the two princes on holiday and, following the death of Diana, she helped them adjust to the loss of their mother.

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

Prince William joined other world leaders in Paris to mark the restoration of the world-famous landmark, which was devastated by a fire five years ago.

After shaking hands at the ceremony, the pair also met afterwards, with the president-elect describing the prince as a “good man” doing a “fantastic job”.

During the event, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech in which he said of the restoration: “We must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will”.

Other leaders and dignitaries at the event included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and outgoing US First Lady Dr Jill Biden, who was representing President Joe Biden.

Prince William was expected to discuss the importance of the US-UK “special relationship” with both Trump and the first lady during their respective meetings.

Greeting the prince at the ceremony, Trump gave William a pat on the shoulder before the two shook hands and spoke for a few seconds.

He last met Trump in 2019 when the then-president made a state visit to the UK.

Prince William, who attended at the request of the UK government, joined French President Emmanuel Macron and dozens of other heads of state at the ceremony on Saturday.

William and Trump met at the residence of the British ambassador in Paris.

The prince was standing in the foyer when Trump arrived. The pair shook hands and greeted one another again, before Trump gestured to the Prince of Wales and said: “Good man, this one”.

Prince William asked the president-elect if he had warmed up, and Trump replied that he had and that “it was a beautiful ceremony”.

Kensington Palace has described the meeting between as “warm and friendly.”

During their 40 minutes together, William and Trump discussed a range of global issues but focused on the importance of the UK/US special relationship.

The president-elect also shared some warm and fond memories of the late Queen for which the prince was said to be “extremely grateful.

“William had also been due to meet Trump and Dr Biden earlier in the day but Kensington Palace said he had been delayed by weather on his journey from the UK to France.

At the ceremony, The Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich led more than 1,500 guests through the reopening service.

A choir sang out as Macron took his seat next to Trump. A message from the Pope was read aloud before the French president delivered his address.

Parts of the event had to be reconfigured due to the stormy weather – with a concert that was due to take place on the esplanade actually being staged on Friday.

The prince’s last official trip to Paris was in 2017, when he visited with the Princess of Wales for a two-day trip in the aftermath of the Brexit result.

He joined other world leaders in Normandy earlier this year for the 80th anniversary commemorations of the Second World War D-Day landings.

The medieval cathedral has been closed since a major fire tore through it in 2019, destroying its wooden interiors before toppling its spire.

Some 600 firefighters battled the blaze for 15 hours. The main structure of the 850-year-old building was saved, including its two bell towers.Macron set a five-year goal for the reconstruction of the Catholic church shortly after the fire.

An estimated 2,000 masons, carpenters, restorers, roofers, foundry-workers, art experts, sculptors and engineers worked on the project, which reportedly cost €700m (£582m).Tickets for the first week of Masses in the cathedral sold out in 25 minutes, the cathedral’s rector said.