Bookies are tipping this royal baby name

Kate Middleton is in labour and speculation as to the gender and name of her and Prince William's third baby has reached fever pitch.

Unsurprisingly, the bookies have been cashing in on the excitement over the past few months, and they think they've cracked what moniker the new is going to be given.

If Kate, 36, gives birth to a girl, which is the top preference at the moment, then Alice is the strong frontrunner, followed by Victoria.

Mary and Elizabeth, after her great grandmother, are also popular contenders.

• Kate Middleton in labour: Inside the $12K-a-night ward where royal baby will be born

• [Duchess of Cambridge in hospital in 'early stages of labour'|Duchess of Cambridge in hospital in 'early stages of labour']

Meanwhile, if the third royal baby turns out to be a boy, Phillip, Albert and Arthur are the most likely choices.

Jack is another top pick for a boy's name.

"Punters are seemingly confident Kate will give birth to a girl as Alice is proving twice as popular as any other name in the market," a Ladbrokes spokesperson told The Express.

"But if it's a boy it's looking increasingly likely he'll be named after his great grandfather."

Other names in the running include Alexandra, for a baby princess, and Edward or Louis for a new prince.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William announced in September last year that they would be welcoming another royal child into their growing brood, and there's been much speculation that the shape and size of the Duchess’ bump could mean she's expecting a girl.

According to some, her bump is very similar to how it was during one of her previous pregnancies, with the Daily Mail pointing out that Kate’s bump is high and wide, meaning it’s more likely to be a girl.

It may be an old wives’ tale, but they do actually point out how similar Kate’s bump is to when she was pregnant with Princess Charlotte in 2015 and how different it is to when she was carrying Prince George back in 2013.

Indeed, the Duchess and Prince William are adamant that they do not know the sex of their unborn child, however, if we were staking a bet, we’d put our money on a girl.

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