The rumour mill is in overdrive over what the third royal baby, which is due in April, will be called. Bookies are taking bets on the most likely names for the child, whose sex hasn't been revealed, and the frontrunners are a far cry from the most popular baby names predicted by Netmums for 2018.
According to Ladbrokes, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are most likely to be welcoming a baby sister, and the most likely names for both sexes are as traditional as you might expect. (We probably won't be seeing a Prince Axl or Princess Layla any time soon.)
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
If the baby is a girl, we could be about to welcome a Princess Mary to the royal family. The name's odds have leapt from 20/1 to 7/1, overtaking Alice, which is now the second most hotly-tipped choice, along with Mary.
The surge came from a boost in bets on Mary in the north west of England. Jessica Bridge from Ladbrokes said that while the company couldn't explain the link between the name and that part of the country, "the overwhelming support means we have a new favourite in the royal baby name market," Metro reported.
If Kate and William's third child is a boy, however, the bookies predict it'll be a little Albert or Arthur, which are tied on 12/1.
The name Mary has been used in the royal family a few times and is one of our current Queen's middle names – her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. Bridge continued: "‘Punters are convinced the Duke and Duchess are expecting another little girl, and obviously it would be a lovely touch to honour Her Majesty’s Grandmother, but it will be interesting to see if any boys’ names are backed over the coming weeks before the birth." We're on tenterhooks.
The bookies' favourite royal baby names
Mary 7/1
Alice 8/1
Victoria 8/1
Albert 12/1
Arthur 12/1
Alexandra 16/1
Diana 16/1
Elizabeth 16/1
Frederick 16/1
Henry 16/1
James 16/1
Grace 20/1
Alice 8/1
Victoria 8/1
Albert 12/1
Arthur 12/1
Alexandra 16/1
Diana 16/1
Elizabeth 16/1
Frederick 16/1
Henry 16/1
James 16/1
Grace 20/1
Read These Next: