Royal baby name: Odds slashed on Jack after Prince William 'drops hint' after Aston Villa win

William and Kate with baby Charlotte
Getty Images
Lucia Binding12 April 2018

Bookies have slashed odds on the Royal baby being named Jack after Prince William joked with fans at a football game earlier this week.

William, 35, teased the prospect of naming his third child after midfielder Jack Grealish upon celebrating his volleyed winner against Cardiff City at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

He allegedly told a supporter standing next to him: “I’m going to insist the baby is called Jack… or Jackie,” according to the Mirror.

William and his heavily pregnant wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, have not revealed the sex of their third baby.

Barriers are put up at Paddington Station
Reuters

But punters up and down the country are now backing Jack for the Royal baby name being the biggest market mover of the last few weeks. The odds were slashed from 50/1 to just 25/1.

Albert and Arthur are still the 12/1 favourites if the duchess is to give birth to another boy.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "He may have been joking, but this could be a huge hint dropped by Prince William and at this stage we're taking no chances."

Royal commentators are not convinced that the Royal baby will be named after the Aston Villa goalscorer, however.

Phil Dampier told the Standard: “William joked about wanting to name his baby Jack or Jackie after an Aston Villa footballer who scored a goal – but seriously we are talking about the fifth-in-line to the throne and a great grandchild of Her Majesty – so they will want to be respectful.

Prince William at the Villa game
PA

“I think family names are more likely. Philip would be a lovely tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh and there are lots of possibilities if it's a girl.”

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator who lectures on royalty on screen, believes William and Kate may be influenced by film and its current obsession with the royal family when it comes to naming their third baby.

He said: “Victorian age is more popular now with Victoria at 13/2 and Albert is currently at 10/1. This would never have happened without the revival of interest in the period assisted by the superb portrayals by Judi Dench as Victoria in Mrs Brown and Victoria and Abdul.

“Adding to that, the chemistry between Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes in the excellent ITV series Victoria and between Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend in The Young Victoria have led to the re-evaluation of this famous royal romance by the public and an understanding of the loneliness of her childhood.”

Press and photographers began setting up outside the Lindo Wing, St Mary’s Hospital, on Wednesday as the world anticipates the arrival of the Royal baby.

Kate also gave birth to Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the hospital.

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