Who is Tiggy Legge-Bourke, the vindicated ex-royal nanny? William and Harry’s former childminder won her lawsuit against the BBC, who lied to Princess Diana about an affair with Prince Charles
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 Prince Charles, per People. Legge-Bourke looked after Prince William and Prince Harry from 1993 to 1999.
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?
She comes from a family with close ties to the royals
She completed her education at the Institut Alpin Videmanette in Switzerland, where Princess Diana also attended. Legge-Bourke then set up her own nursery school in London called Mrs Tiggywinkle’s.
She was Prince William and Prince Harry’s nanny
Prince Charles appointed Legge-Bourke as his two sons’ royal nanny soon after his separation from Princess Diana in 1993. She was also working as Charles’ assistant.
Legge-Bourke grew close to the boys and often went on holidays abroad with them. She kept in touch with them after she retired in 1999, and they attended her wedding that same year, per BBC.
She was falsely accused of being Prince Charles’ mistress
Legge-Bourke brought a defamation claim against the network over their “false and malicious” allegations.
She cleared her name and received a payout
In July, the BBC issued a public apology in London’s High Court to Legge-Bourke, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry “for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives”.
Per The Times, the network paid the former nanny around US$240,000 for damages and legal costs and said that it would never allow the interview to be aired again.
Legge-Bourke released her own statement, expressing her disappointment on how “it needed legal action for the BBC to recognise the serious harm I have been subjected to”.
Where is she now?
Legge-Bourke has remained a steadfast figure in the lives of Prince William and Prince Harry, who are both godfathers to her kids, per Tatler. Legge-Bourke’s son Tom Pettifer served as a page boy at William’s wedding in 2011 and the former nanny attended Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding in 2018. She was also named a godmother to the Sussexes’ first child, Archie, according to a report from The Sunday Times.
Away from the glare of the royal spotlight, Legge-Bourke lives on the Glanusk Estate in Wales with her husband, Charles Pettifer, along with her two sons and two stepsons. They run their own farmhouse bed and breakfast, per Hello!
- BBC’s Martin Bashir forged abortion papers regarding Prince Charles and Legge-Bourke, to show Princess Diana in a 1995 interview – the network has finally apologised
- She retired in 1999 when she married Charles Pettifer, but is still close with the young princes, attending their weddings to Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, and being named Archie’s godmother