Arthur and James lead betting at the bookies

Punters have been racing to place bets on the possible name of the royal baby boy, with James and Henry catching favourite Arthur.

Bookies still have the moniker of the legendary king as their top name but are seeing royal fans taking a punt on other choices facing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: “Arthur might be the favourite with the bookies, but it’s actually James that’s the favourite with punters.”

She added: “Over 100,000 bets have placed across the UK betting industry on the baby name, and punters are eagerly awaiting the announcement from Kensington Palace to see if they will be quids in.”

The bookmaker has Arthur as 2-1 favourite followed by James 4-1, Albert 5-1, Philip 6-1 and Alexander and Henry both priced at 12-1.

William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: “Henry has been very popular overnight and might well be in the frame.”

The firm has Arthur as 2-1 favourite but the odds on Henry have been shortened from 14-1 to 10-1.

Other popular names include James 4-1, Phillip 5-1 and Albert 6-1.

There is one name which has yet to have a single penny wagered on it, according to Ladbrokes, and that is Boris.

Coral spokeswoman said: “Even Donald has seen money put down with the firm, which is staggering in itself.”