With Meghan Markle expected to give birth to her first child with Prince Harry in the next few months, there is increased speculation the couple will welcome a baby girl into the royal family.
Since the happy news was announced in October, on the first day of their royal tour in Sydney, royal fans around the world have been betting frantically on Meghan and Harry having a daughter.
UK bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair has suspended betting on the gender of the royal baby due to the overwhelming number of bets being placed on the bub being a girl.
“We haven’t seen too much betting on this market for a while, but tonight all of a sudden we have seen a flurry of betting activity on the baby to a girl,” spokeswoman Katie Baylis told Hello!.
“So much so that we’ve had to suspend the market and stop taking bets on the sex of the baby. If the punters are anything to go by, then we could have a new Princess in a couple of months’ time,” she said.
“The flow of bets over the course of today has been almost as heavy as the general goodwill towards the couple – and we are now convinced they are having a girl.”
Punters are also placing bets on what name Meghan and Harry will choose if they have a daughter.
Diana is the current frontrunner at 8/1, followed by Alice (13/1) and Grace (14/1), Elizabeth (17/1), Frances (17/1) and Alexandra (17/1).
There is also speculation Meghan is due earlier than we first thought, with some predicting she could give birth in March.
Could the Duchess be having a girl? (Image: Getty)
Meghan’s belly button
Some eagle-eyed royal watchers have noticed the way Meghan’s belly button has changed from an “innie” to an “outie”, which is very common during the later stages of pregnancy.
Meghan’s belly button was easily visible during her most recent public engagement last week, when she visited one of her new patronages, British charity SmartWorks.
The organisation helps long term, unemployed and vulnerable women regain the skills, confidence and tools to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and turn around their lives.
With her gorgeous baby bump on display, she wore her first maternity outfit, an Eliza dress by US label Hatch, Kimai earrings and a long Oscar de la Renta camel coat.
READ MORE: Meghan’s best maternity fashion moments
You can see Meghan’s belly button really popping in this photo. (Image: Getty)
The Duchess places a protective hand over her bump. (Image: Getty)
“It’s absolutely normal for the belly button to become more prominent in pregnancy,” Dr Carol Cooper told The Sun.
“This happens because the pressure inside the abdomen rises as the pregnancy progresses,” Dr Copper said.
“A woman who’s got an ‘innie’ often finds this becomes an ‘outie’ sometime after mid-pregnancy, often between 26 and 36 weeks.
“The timing isn’t reliable enough to make any predictions as to when the baby will arrive. Obviously, though, it does suggest the baby is growing.
“The belly button normally goes back to the shape it was before, but, like the rest of the body, it can take time.
“It doesn’t always look quite as neat as before the pregnancy. Think of a sock that’s no longer straight from the shop.”
WATCH BELOW: Prince Harry talks about his royal baby during his visit to Sydney
Prince Harry hopes it’s a girl
Just after the pregnancy announcement was made last year, Prince Harry let slip that he hopes his new baby is a daughter.
The 34-year-old was attending a cycling event in Sydney for the Invictus Games, when a spectator in the crowd called out to the Duke of Sussex: “Congratulations, I hope it’s a girl!”
Harry sweetly replied: “So do I!”
But just days earlier during his first keynote speech at Admiralty House, Harry had hinted that the couple wanted to keep the gender of the baby a secret, even from themselves.
“We’re both delighted to be here and really impressed to see you serving beer and tea at an afternoon reception, in true Aussie style. And we also genuinely couldn’t think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby, whether it’s a boy or a girl, so thank you very, very much,” Harry said at the time.
Either way, we know this baby will be the talk of the town once she – or he – arrives.
We can’t wait to meet them!
Want more on the Royal Baby? We’ve got you covered!
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The surprising way Duchess Meghan’s hair has changed throughout her pregnancy
What will Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry’s royal baby title be?
