Kate Middleton, 36, is eight months pregnant with her third child, and certain baby names are flying to the top of the betting odds – but it is said Prince Philip may have a key influence.
One name, Alice, is now by far the most popular name, with Ladbrokes reporting it is twice as popular as any other one in the market.
It is so popular, in fact, that bookies have had to slash the odds of her being called Alice to 6/1, as so many people are voting for it.
But why is this? It is said the name has a special significance for Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
Alice is the name of Prince Philip’s late mother, whose full name was Princess Alice of Greece.
Princess Alice of Greece, who died in 1969 at the age of 84, having spent her last days at Buckingham Palace.
It was also the name of one of Queen Victoria’s daughters, meaning it has origins from both the Queen and Philip’s relatives.
Victoria Arbiter, the CNN royal commentator, told USA Today the name would be a likely choice.
“Will and Kate have been keen to pay tribute to both sides of the family, so I would love to see Alice, which is undergoing a resurgence in terms of being cool,” she said.
”And Prince Philip’s mother was quite an extraordinary woman, so it would be a lovely tribute.”
The current betting favourite still stands at Mary, with 4 to 1 odds, however it is believed this will soon change.
Other popular choices with punters include Victoria (8/1), Albert (12/1) and Arthur (12/1).
Is Kate Middleton expecting twins? Her baby bump is said to be bigger compared to her previous births with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
It is believed a baby bump may be bigger if a woman is carrying twins. “You may have a bigger bump if you’re carrying twins or more,” according to information on the BabyCentre UK website.
However, Aly Dilks, who works as Clinical Director at the Women’s Health Clinic, said there is another possible explanation for this.
“Essentially, each pregnancy will have its own differences and similarities but we do expect ladies to have bigger babies the more children they have,” the expert told the Daily Mail.
