Princess Anne’s former lady-in-waiting and the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry’s childhood nanny has sadly passed away. Dame Shan Legge-Bourke, who was a friend of the Royal Family, passed away peacefully at home this week.
As well as being a former lady-in-waiting to The Princess Royal, Dame Shan was also the mother of Tiggy Pettifer, formally Legge-Bourke, – the much-loved nanny of William and Harry when they were children. Dame Shan had met many members of the Royal Family, and was believed to have struck up a relationship with William and Harry when they were children, as they were regular visitors to her Glanusk estate near Crickhowell on the Welsh border.
Dame Shan’s family paid tribute to her last night in a statement announcing her death.
As reported by The Daily Mail, the family said: “We are devastated to lose our mother. She was an inspiration to us all, and to many people she met over her years of service to Wales, and the countless organisations and institutions she supported.
“A country girl at heart, she has left an indelible legacy at Glanusk, the wider countryside and beyond.”
Dame Shan inherited the Glanusk estate from her father following his death in 1948 and ran it successfully.
As well as the estate to keep her busy, she was very involved in public life in Wales and had many roles including Lord Lieutenant of Powys and chair of the Brecon and Radnor Country and Land Association.
The sad passing of Dame Shan comes at the end of a hard year for her daughter Tiggy, whose stepson Edward Pettifer was killed in the New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day.
It is likely the Royal Family will reach out to the family following Dame Shan’s death.