Harry and Meghan: Baby Name Odds Update

In the maelstrom following Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey which ITV showed on Monday, you could be forgiven for forgetting that, amongst the myriad of criticisms levelled at the British monarchy by the couple, there is some good news too.  There was a happy “gender reveal” during the two-hour interview, during which Harry disclosed “It’s a girl!”.   Immediately, speculation began about the name of the new arrival who, Meghan confirmed, will be born in the summer.   She will be a little sister to the couple’s first-born, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor who is seventh in the line of succession to the British throne.  Archie will turn two on 6 May and undoubtedly he will be looking forward to having a baby sister to play with in the family’s $14 million mansion in Montecito, California.  

Fans of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been quick to voice their views about the baby’s name and, unsurprisingly, Diana has been a firm favourite.  Harry and Meghan may wish to honour the memory of Harry’s late mother but the fact is, Harry’s brother has got there first.  Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, called their 5-year old daughter Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.  In any event, the couple may consider that naming their newborn Diana would place an unnecessary burden on the child and would align her too closely to the memory of her deceased grand-mother Diana, Princess of Wales.  The timing of the birth this summer is particularly poignant given that Diana, had she survived, would have celebrated her 60th birthday on 1 July.  Her two sons had been due to unveil a sculpture of Diana in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace on that date but, given the shocking allegations made by Harry and his wife during their interview, it is hard to see Harry being welcomed back into Kensington Palace any time soon!

Another name being suggested by fans is Oprah.  Arguably the biggest winner of the protracted interview of the couple was, in fact, Oprah Winfrey herself.  She is expected to gross $7 million from US broadcaster, CBS, and there is more to come from global sales.  The 67-year old billionaire broadcaster has no real need for the extra cash but she must be enjoying the saturation coverage the interview is receiving across much of the world.  With no children of her own, it would be a delight for her if Harry and Meghan were to name their daughter Oprah.

Several bookmakers are offering odds if you are interested in placing a bet on the name of Harry and Meghan’s baby daughter.   Oprah doesn’t yet feature in the odds, but perhaps the name will be included over the next few days.   The majority of the names listed are very traditional with Grace ,for example,  a front-runner at odds of 18/1 from bookie Paddy Power.  But Diana is leading the way with odds of 4/1 from Betway.  Alexandria, Alice and Victoria are also touted and, given their royal connotations, they will surely be at the very least on the couple’s shortlist.  Elizabeth – with odds of 10/1 from William Hill –  would be a fitting tribute to Her Majesty The Queen but, again, the name has been nabbed by Harry’s brother and sister-in-law for their daughter.  Interestingly, the name Catherine also features, with odds of 25/1 from BetVictor but we cannot imagine the new baby being named after her auntie Catherine (popularly known as Kate), particularly when said auntie’s reputation as a rather nice person was so completely demolished by Meghan’s assertions that Kate made her cry prior to her wedding in 2018.  

Harry and Meghan’s shocking central allegations – that the Royal Family is racist, that it was uncaring of Meghan’s mental welfare, that Archie was denied the royal title of Prince, that security was axed and that Prince Charles has cut off financial support – have been enormously damaging to the Monarchy, particularly in the United States where the media in the United States has been overwhelmingly supportive to Harry and Meghan.  

To be publicly demolished by two members of the Queen’s own family in such a systematic and unrelenting way reminds us all of the adage “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public”.  This family dispute, which follows on from the drama of Mexit last year, provides critics with plenty of ammunition to attack the principle of constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom.  The Palace has not yet responded to the sensational claims made by Harry and Meghan but a statement is expected shortly.  There are, of course, two sides to every story and it is to be hoped that the allegations made by Harry and Meghan will be addressed in their entirety.  While the couple remain in their Californian home, enjoying the generally positive and sympathetic reaction to their interview in the United States, it is likely that the joy of a newborn daughter – whatever her name may be – will fail to lift the couple’s sinking reputation in the United Kingdom.