A bookmaker has pulled all bets on the gender of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal baby, saying a "flurry" of bets has lead them to believe the "secret is out". Although Prince Harry and Meghan claim they don’t know whether they’re having a baby boy or girl, William Hill were forced to stop taking bets on the baby’s gender after receiving an "avalanche" of bets on the baby being a girl.
"People were only betting one way and we ended up cutting the odds of the baby being a girl to 2/5," said William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly. "When people were still desperate to back that price, we decided to take evasive action and pull the market completely. As far as we are concerned, the secret is out." There have been lots of bets on what the royal couple may name a baby girl, with Diana leading the way at 4/1, followed by Victoria at 8/1 and Alice at 10/1.
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It comes a couple of weeks after rival betmaker Betfair slashed the odds on Prince Harry and Meghan having a girl from 10/11 to 1/2 as the baby’s due date got nearer. The surge in bets may also have been inspired by comments made by Meghan’s close friend Serena Williams on Friday, with fans convinced that the tennis champion accidentally let slip that the Duchess is expecting a girl.
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In an interview with E!, Serena spoke about "a friend" who is expecting a baby and referred to the child as "she". Asked if she has advice for new parents, the mum-of-one answered: "Accept mistakes and don't expect to be perfect. We put so much pressure on ourselves." She then revealed: "My friend is pregnant and she's like, 'Oh, my kid's gonna do this,' and I just looked at her and I was like, 'No, she's not.'" She then quickly moved on to talking about her own experiences.
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Serena was a guest at Meghan’s baby shower in New York earlier this year, so may well be privy to more details about the royal baby. Photographs posted after the event by baker Darcy Miller once again fuelled speculation that the royal couple are expecting a girl, as guests tucked into pink sugared almonds and cupcakes. But we’ll just have to hold on a little longer to find out!
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