As we countdown the days until the arrival of a new mini-royal, betting lists in the U.K. are seeing a new name emerge to the forefront that could be a major contender.
The odds-on favorite is that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who reportedly do not know the gender, are expecting a girl! And while Elizabeth and Diana (duh) continue to top the lists, there are two other names that could be the perfect fit for the future family of three.
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Currently, the name Grace, which means blessing or favor, is tied for the top spot with Diana according to the U.K. based betting company Ladbrokes. The name was popularized by another royal, Princess Grace of Monaco, who shares a few similarities with the momma to-be. Both are American women who left their acting careers to take on the role of a royal family member, so we wouldn’t be surprised if they went with Grace as an homage of sorts to Grace Kelly!
Another name climbing the ranks? Allegra, which is of Italian origin and means joyous or cheerful. While unexpected, Alex Apati of Ladbrokes tells People that it’s gaining in popularity fast:
“We’re scratching our heads as to why we’ve seen so much interest in Allegra, but the bets are coming in thick and fast and it’s been by far the most popular pick of the month with punters.”
And as for boys names, Arthur tops the lists, followed by Philip (for great-grandfather Prince Philip), James, and Albert.
Don’t place your bets on a baby girl just yet!
Some fans have reported that searching on the Royal Family’s website for the names Arthur, Alexander, and James using “/prince-arthur,” “/prince-alexander,” or “/prince-james,” you are directed back to the main page, which could suggest these pages exist on the backend but are not publicly live yet. But doing the same search for the name Grace using “/princess-grace,” you’ll receive a “page not found” error.
Hmmm…
However, Buckingham Palace says don’t be so quick to assume that this means that those are or aren’t the name contenders! They issued a statement Tuesday morning to E! News in an attempt to shut down the rumor mill:
“A large number of search term redirects were set up some time ago on royal.uk. This was in order to improve user experience.”
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Miz Markle beats to the tune of her own drum, which is a welcome change from many stuffy royal rules, and her birth experience is likely going to be no different! Royal author Ingrid Seward chimed in, telling People her thoughts on how the Buckingham Palace crew feels about the fresh changes:
“People are delighted that Meghan is doing things differently. She was under no pressure to do things the same.”
And as for where Meg will be delivering her bundle of joy? Seward speculates that it WON’T be at the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in Westminster where Princess Diana delivered Prince William and Harry, as well as where Kate Middleton delivered Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis:
“It is completely understandable. The Lindo Wing has become too much of a circus.”
What are your bets for baby names? Do you think it will be more traditional like Grace or something different like Allegra? And what about for a boy?
Share your thoughts (below) in the comments!!
[Image via John Rainford/WENN.]
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