Expect Alice in the palace
LESS than a month out from the expected birth of the royal baby, Alice has emerged as the hot favourite in the name sweepstakes, but with Anzac Day the rumoured due date, perhaps a more Australian name such as Matilda could be the dark horse.
That is, of course, if it is a girl and, as with all things Royal, no one is saying. There are however whispers.
According to a volunteer worker at a children’s centre in the southeast London suburb of Woolwich, visited by the Duchess of Cambridge a fortnight ago, the baby is due in two to three weeks.
Christine Osborne, 49, told reporters Princess Kate confided to her, “I’m due mid-April to the end of April. Not long now.”
That immediately sparked a betting plunge on April 20 – the Queen’s birthday – as the most likely date of birth but odds on that have since blown out slightly following unconfirmed reports that Kate has been told the baby will arrive on April 25, Anzac Day.
The Queen’s birthday theory saw a betting plunge on the name Elizabeth, taking it to the top line of betting, ahead of early favourites Charlotte, Victoria and Diana.
Most backed boys names are Arthur, Henry and James, although over 70 per cent of punters are betting on the newborn being a girl.
Why? Because Princess Kate wore mainly pink outfits to public appearances before stopping official duties last week.
Apparently the flurry for Alice began with a flood off bets from royal watchers in the town of Tonbridge in Kent, resulting in speculation about “inside information” and bookmaker William Hill slashing odds on the name to 4-1.
A spokesman for William Hill said: “You have to think there is good reason for the gamble.”