The royal baby is well on his or her way, but parents-to-be Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are following protocol and remaining tight-lipped when it comes to their new family member.
Markle, who is due any day now, has not confirmed the sex of her child. The suspense has eager royal watchers placing bets on the baby’s name, birthday, time of birth and sex — leading favourably towards a girl, according to U.K. betting authority Ladbrokes.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously told onlookers that they hadn’t yet decided on a name, people are confident that the couple will follow Royal Family tradition and go with a regal name.
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If it’s a girl …
If Markle, 37, welcomes a girl, the top pick on Ladbrokes is Elizabeth (6/1), honouring the newborn’s great-grandmother, the Queen.
The royal name takes first place over previous front-runner, Victoria (8/1), after former monarch Queen Victoria. The next most popular choice is Diana (8/1) after Prince Harry’s and Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Another popular choice is Alice (12/1), which is a significant name in the Royal Family. Prince Philip’s mother was named Alice, as was Queen Victoria’s daughter. There’s also Princess Alice, who wed Duke of Gloucester (Prince Henry) in 1935.
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If it’s a boy …
While the odds are not in favour of a boy — according to the betting sites, at least, even though there’s a 50 per cent chance — if 34-year-old Prince Harry fathers a son, people are confident he will be named Albert (12/1), the name of Queen Victoria’s husband. Albert was also a top pick for Kate Middleton and Prince William’s son Prince Louis, who was born in April 2018.
Philip is also a leading contender (12/1), after the child’s great-grandfather Prince Philip. Historical names Arthur (16/1) and James (16/1) are tied in second place, even though Arthur is already the middle name of cousin Louis.
In third place is the posh Alexander (20/1), which may be a nod to the Queen’s middle name Alexandra.
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Markle announced her pregnancy in October last year, several months after her wedding to Prince Harry in May.
The couple recently visited Morocco for a three-day royal tour. Markle was also in New York for her baby shower with friends Serena Williams and Amal Clooney.
Laura.Hensley@globalnews.ca