London: If bookmakers are to be believed, Prince William and Kate Middleton will be blessed with a girl and their second baby would be named Alice.
Punters have staked a significant amount on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge naming their second baby Alice — leaving one bookmaker facing a potential five-figure payout.
Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George in a file photo.
Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George in a file photo.
The odds on the royal couple calling their baby Alice have tumbled with bookmaker William Hill from 14-1 to 4-1 after the bets were made last week.
"Alice is the new favourite and we have seen a significant number of bets, particularly from the Tunbridge area — you have to think there is good reason for the gamble," William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams was quoted as saying by media reports.
If the wagers prove correct the bookmakers face losing a five-figure sum.
After Alice the next fancied moniker among punters is the Queen's name Elizabeth at odds of 9-2 followed by Charlotte, Victoria, Alexandra, Diana and the boys names Arthur, Henry and James all at 20-1.
Since the mid 19th century a number of royal women have been called Alice, with Queen Victoria calling her second daughter Princess Alice and the wife of the late Duke of Gloucester -- the Queen's uncle -- also had the same name.
Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, has also made Alice their favourite, jointly with Charlotte followed by Elizabeth, Victoria, James, Arthur and Alexandra and then Philip.
The Duchess held her last public engagements on Friday and will not be seen again officially until she leaves the Lindo Wing, the private maternity wing of London's St Mary's Hospital, with her second child.
The baby is due at the end of April and the Duke said, as they visited a number of charitable organisations on Friday, that he could not wait for the latest addition to his family to be born.
William Hill are accepting wagers on the date the baby will be born as well with odds suggesting it could be around 21 April.
