The crazy world of Royal baby betting
The only people who really know anything about the imminent arrival of the Royal baby are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (and their entourage). However, thousands of Brits are convinced that they know the gender, the due date, and the name of the new baby - and they are prepared to put their money where their mouth is.
Betting on the Royal baby is big business. For months punters have been betting on the gender of the new Royal. At the moment an impressive 90% of all bets are on a girl - at 8/15.
However, the biggest betting market is for names, and Alice has emerged as the frontrunner. William Hill has cut the odds on Alice from 32/1 to 6/4 in just a few days. A spokesman said one gambler had put down £2,000 on the name.
Other names in the running are Elizabeth and Charlotte - both at 6/1. Meanwhile, for boys, James is the frontrunner at 8/1, with Arthur a distant second at 20/1. Punters can, of course, bet on whatever name takes their fancy, which is why one has put £1 on the name Elvis - at 100/1.
Is there anything in this?
There are those who point out that last time around George was the favourite among punters for weeks before he was born.
However, when you look more closely at how these rumours started, they seem less convincing. The theory that the baby was going to be a girl set in fairly early, and was based around the common belief that the severe morning sickness the Duchess of Cambridge suffered is most common among mothers having girls. This is despite the fact that she had the same condition last time she was pregnant, and went on to have Prince George.
The name Alice, meanwhile, is thought to have come from the fact that Kate did her dissertation on Lewis Carroll when she was at university - and might name her daughter after his most famous character, Alice in Wonderland. However, the same logic would dictate that there's a chance the girl would be called Carol or Carole - which happens to be Kate's mum's name too - and is a far less common punt.
Other bets
The next most popular bet is on the date of the birth. All that most of us know is that Kate told someone at an event that her baby was due in 'mid to late April', and that the parking restrictions at the hospital are only in place until 30 April.
It's safe to say that given the lack of research in this area, the Royal couple themselves will only have the vaguest of ideas when they can expect to see their second child, but it hasn't stopped punters guessing that the baby will arrive on 25th April (with the 23rd and 24th in second and third place).
The baby's hair colour is a less common bet - although brown is the current favourite, followed by blonde and then red.
The money is also on a big baby, with most of the money suggesting it will weigh somewhere between 8lbs and 8lbs 15oz. The second most common range is 7lbs to 7lbs 15oz - which is what the bookies originally expected everyone to pick.
In terms of Godparents, Princess Beatrice is a frontrunner, with Liz Hurley and Elton John slightly less likely options at 100/1.
But it doesn't stop here. You can take a punt on who will be carrying the baby when they leave hospital (the money is on Wiliam, after Kate carried George last time around). You can bet on the colour of the dress Kate will wear to show her baby off to the cameras for the first time (pink or purple are favourites at the moment), or the political leader who will be fastest to Tweet their congratulations (The punters have opted for David Cameron).
The question is why anyone would be certain they have the answer? And how anyone can be so convinced they have a deep insight into the minds of the royal couple that they decide to wager £2,000 on their guess? But what do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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