Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are expecting a baby, so naturally the U.K. is gearing up for that time-honored tradition of betting on the name of a baby that won’t be born until spring.
The ink had scarcely dried on the Kensington Palace announcement before speculation began. Popular U.K. betting sites Ladbrokes and Betfair were among those offering odds on the child’s name, gender, and even birth hour.
Royal babies tend to be named conservatively and after royal ancestors, so Victoria, Albert, and Diana proved to be early favorites for Harry and Meghan’s baby, who will be seventh in line for the throne. But the bold better could also find some joy in these stakes. Ladbrokes is offering 100/1 odds that the baby will be named after a political figure like Barack, Theresa, or Winston. Even Beto is in the mix and, at 200/1, at notably better odds than Boris, the name of the British Foreign Secretary. Those who like a real long shot can put their money on the child being named “Brexit” (500/1).
Fortune favored the bold when William and Kate announced the name of their third child this past spring. Louis was far from the favorite for the fifth in line for the throne, at 33/1 odds.
