Royal baby name favourites, according to the bookies

Punters have predicted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will call their baby Diana after Harry’s late mother, following a flurry of bets on the newborn being a girl.

Betfair spokesperson Katie Baylis tells Yahoo Style UK: “Diana has been the big favourite since Meghan announced she was expecting and we’ve slashed the odds on the name to 3/1 in the last few days.

“Next is Grace at 8/1, while Arthur, James and Edward, all very traditional names are the 14/1 favourites if the child is a boy.”

So what’s in a name?

Diana would be a tribute to Harry’s mother who tragically died in a car accident in Paris in 1997. It’s also one of Princess Charlotte’s middle names.

Meghan and Harry at WE Day. [Photo: PA]
Meghan and Harry at WE Day. [Photo: PA]
Princess Diana, pictured in 1995. [Photo: PA]
Princess Diana, pictured in 1995. [Photo: PA]

Grace Kelly is the name of the former American actress, who became Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Like Meghan, she retired from acting to take up royal duties.

Victoria and Alice are also 14/1 favourites, if the couple have a girl. The Queen is a great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Princess Alice was her second daughter. The Duke of Edinburgh’s mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg.

READ MORE: Where will Meghan and Harry’s baby live?

If the royal baby is a boy, Arthur, James and Edward all have royal connotations.

Pippa and husband James Matthews named their first child Arthur [Photo: PA]
Pippa and husband James Matthews named their first child Arthur [Photo: PA]

Arthur is the name of the legendary, mythical king, derived from 5th century folklore. Prince William and his son Prince Louis also have Arthur as one of their middle names and Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton named it her firstborn.

King James has been the name of many monarchs throughout history, while Edward was the name of the Queen’s uncle and is also that of her youngest son.

Harry and Meghan may be less likely to choose Edward though, as he abdicated from the throne in 1936 so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.