Will & Kate’s second child is due sometime next month. (She hasn’t gotten any more specific than mid-to-late April and can you blame her? Pregnant women who aren’t famous get pestered bad enough.) Which means it’s time for folks to squander their hard-earned cash by betting on what the pair will name their new arrival.
Hello! (the world’s most comprehensive source regarding royals and also British reality TV stars) has the latest on the flurry of bets placed in the run-up to the newest royal’s debut on the world stage:
Betfair Sportsbook was forced to slash the odds for Alice to 3/1 after receiving a flurry of bets. The bookmaker is currently seeing the traditional moniker Elizabeth ranked second at 5/1 with Charlotte following behind at 11/2.
If William and Kate do decide to name their royal baby Alice, if she is indeed a Princess, they would be giving a nod to Queen Victoria’s second daughter, Alice Maud Mary.
There really aren’t enough Mauds these days. Hello! (hello to you as well!) notes that Elizabeth seems especially likely if they have a girl, since the baby’s due around the Queen’s birthday. For boys, the favorites are Richard (10/1, although that’s probably surging just because Richard III has been in the news lately) and James (12/1). Baby name expert Pamela Redmond Satran told Mashable she was skeptical about James, though:
“James is the English form of the also-popular Hebrew Jacob, which means ‘supplanter’ — not the best name meaning for [the] second in line to the throne. One Scottish Prince James illegally claimed the throne, also not the best association. And the fact that the name belongs to Catherine’s only brother may be the third strike against it,” she says.
That would certainly liven up the franchise. Anybody who wants to throw her money away can take a page from the gamblers who, Mashable reports, placed bets with Paddy Power that the royal spawn would be named Joffrey. JOFFREY. Ya nerds.
If you’re looking for an unconventional approach to picking winners, betting house Ladbrokes recently hosted a corgi race to determine the favorite. The winner was Alexandra, for what it’s worth.
If you don’t have any thoughts on names, you can always bet on gender, day of arrival, hair color and even, News.com.au reports, the color of the dress Kate Middleton will be wearing as she leaves the hospital. Great Britain, have you considered that you might have a gambling problem?
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