Trump to meet Meghan and Harry’s baby? You bet
The US president is expected to be introduced to members of the royal family during his state visit in June.
A meeting between US President Donald Trump and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby may seem like an unlikely encounter but one bookmaker is offering odds on it happening.
William Hill has priced Harry and Meghan’s first child being introduced to the US leader during his state visit at 3-1.
Mr Trump will be a guest of the Queen when he makes his long-awaited three-day official trip in June, and while protesters are planning to launch the Trump blimp – a balloon depicting the president as a nappy-wearing baby – the royal family are likely to attend events with the US leader at Buckingham Palace.
Royal fans are waiting on tenterhooks for news of the royal birth, expected any day now, and if it arrives in April it will have diamond as its birth stone.
Betting firms have been inundated with wagers on everything from names – with Diana still the favourite with many – to one punter trying to place a bizarre bet on the baby being born already.
Over the past nine months speculation among Ladbrokes punters has been in favour of the Sussexes having a girl, but bets are now pouring in for a boy and the bookies have been forced to slash the price to 11-10.
The names Diana and Grace are the firm’s joint 6-1 favourites, and the best placed boy’s name is Arthur at 8-1, then Philip 10-1 and James 12-1.
A punter from south London tried to place a £100 bet with William Hill on Tuesday suggesting the royal baby had already been born, but it was not accepted.
William Hill spokesman Rupert Adam: “Harry and Meghan have thrown a spanner in the works by keeping the birth private and there seem to be a few people who believe that the baby has already arrived.
“Either way, we are hoping they don’t choose to name the child Diana, Grace or Isabella as all will cost us a small fortune.”
He added that Diana, with odds of 4-1, was the firm’s favourite followed by Victoria at 7-1 and Grace 12-1.
Another betting firm, Coral, said Grace was its new joint favourite with Diana, after a flurry of bets in the past 24 hours which forced the odds down from 20-1 to 6-1, while Arthur is the shortest priced male name at 8-1.
Coral’s John Hill said: “A girl is the odds-on favourite in our gender betting and we continue to see bets for Diana and Elizabeth as we edge closer towards the due date.”
