With just three months to go until the new royal baby arrives, punters are upping the ante on what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will name their third bundle of joy.
Bookies started handing out odds on the baby’s name the day the Palace announced Catherine was pregnant, but overnight a new name shot up the list, overtaking the previous favourites, Alice, Arthur and Victoria.
Now, Mary is the top choice, rising from 16/1 to as short as 3/1 overnight.
There’s no word on why the name suddenly became so popular, but if the new baby is named Mary, she’ll be in good company. Mary is one of the Queen’s middle names and her grandmother’s name.
Whether it’s a boy or a girl remains to be seen, and the odds haven’t changed much in that regard. Both boy and girl remain at 10/11. One thing that is known for sure is that it’s not twins, and William at least is very grateful.
The royal joked his “mental health” would be tested if his wife gave birth to twins unexpectedly – and either way, he expects to be “permanently tired” following the new arrival.
The couple, who already have son George and daughter Charlotte together, know full well the pressure that comes with a newborn and the inevitable sleepless nights.
Appearing at the Centrepoint Awards on Friday – where he handed out prizes to former rough sleepers – William joked he’s getting as much sleep as he can now. Speaking to Raymond Stoner, boss of Anston Properties, he said: “Our third child is due in April, I’m getting as much sleep as I can.”
According to the Telegraph, Stoner joked he could save time by having twins, but the royal replied: “Twins? I think my mental health would be tested with twins.”
He then added to another supporter: “Two is fine I don’t know how I’m going to cope with three, I’m going to be permanently tired.”
The baby is due in April, just weeks before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. While the newborn will no doubt sleep its way through much of the big day, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are said to make a special appearance during the ceremony.
A Palace spokesperson told The Times in December that “the wedding will be a family event. You can expect the family to be involved”. William is also expected to be front and centre by Harry’s side as his ‘supporter’ — the royals version of a best man — on his big day.