Bookmakers are already taking bets on what the newest royal baby will be named, and what their gender will be, following the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child.
The palace has confirmed that Duchess Catherine is pregnant with a second child who will be fifth in line to the throne. It is not yet known though if Prince George’s new younger sibling will be a boy or a girl, but that hasn’t stopped royal fans around the world from guessing.
Related: Palace confirms Duke and Duchess of Cambridge confirm are expecting a second child
British betting agency Ladbrokes opened the betting within hours of the announcement. As far as names go, James seems to be the most popular name by far if it’s a boy – with odds of six to one, followed closely by Elizabeth, after the baby’s great-grandmother the Queen, if it’s a girl – with odds of eight to one.
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The most popular names after that, in order, are Victoria, Arthur, Charles, Thomas, Henry, Mary and Diana. The latter is obviously a popular choice as it is thought William would want to honour his late mother, Princess Diana.
Given that William and Catherine decided to name their first child HRH Prince George, after his great-great-grandfather King George VI, it seems likely that his little brother or sister will be named after another member of the family line – hence why Phillip, Elizabeth, Catherine, Harry, Diana and Charles are all popular contenders.
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If you were feeling particularly frivolous though, you could also lay your money down on Sapesan, Kevin, Wayne, Nigel or Ruprecht, all of whom earn odds of 500 to one!
When Prince George’s birth was first announced, punters correctly anticipated George as their initial favourite, before that was overtaken in popularity by James as the official birth date drew closer. So with James the early favourite this time round, perhaps there is a pattern and the punters early favourite will win over William and Catherine again!
Related: Odds are on “James” for William and Catherine’s first baby’s name
“The Royal Baby betting frenzy is back in full swing,” says Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes, adding that “with one correct gamble already in the bag, punters are quickly reinvesting their winnings on the couple having a second son called James.”
When it comes to the gender, Prince Harry has already had a thing or two to say about that: “If it’s a girl…I’d love to see him try to cope with that,” the cheeky royal said of his brother William in true little brother style.
Related: Cheeky Prince Harry welcomes baby news, will now be fifth in line to the throne
The betting agency favours a little sister for George as the popular choice though with odds of four to five that it will be a boy but an even money shot that it will be a girl!
“I think George will be thrilled about having a brother or sister,” continued Harry. “So we’ll wait and see as the family continues to grow,” he said.
One thing is for sure though, continuing interest in the royal baby means big business for the British bookies.
“Last time around, we took over half a million pounds on the royal baby and we fully expect that once again the British public will all have their own opinions on whether a boy or girl is on the way,” said a spokesman for another British betting firm William Hill.
Another fellow betting agency Paddy Power had odds of six to four that Kate Middleton and Prince William’s second baby will have brown hair – plus odds of five to two for fair hair, three to one for a ginger mop five to one for black hair.
“If there’s one thing that baby George taught us it’s that the British public love a punt on a Royal offspring and we’re bracing ourselves for another baby betting bonanza,” a Paddy Power spokesperson said.
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