There is a fetus inside of Meghan Markle. (Shh, please do not gasp or make any noise otherwise; the fetus might be sleeping.) Prince Harry (real name Henry) helped put it in there, as you may know, and the tiny royal is supposed to arrive in April. This new person will not have the title of Prince or Princess, taking instead the title of Earl or Lady, due to a royal naming convention that you may try to understand for yourself, and good luck.
So far, the couple hasn’t announced what they plan to name the tiny new royal, but that hasn’t stopped betting-based speculation.
U.K. bookies Ladbrokes put the odds in favor of the couple having a girl, and according to the bookies at Betway, “Diana” is the clear favorite, name-wise (at 6/1 odds). Diana is followed by Victoria (9/1), Albert (12/1), Alice (12/1), and Phillip (12/1). The website Betfair also declared “Diana” the favorite all the way back in October. So maybe it will be Diana?
But of course, it’s not too late to make a change. No one’s even been born yet! The staff at the Cut would like to suggest a few alternatives to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, in case they’re listening. And if you know them, can you please forward them this message?
“I have a great idea for Meghan’s baby’s name: Katie. I have a feeling she will like that.” — Katie Heaney, senior health writer
“In my opinion, William and Kate should name their new daughter Madeleine — pronounced Ma-duh-lin, not -Ma-duh-line — because 1) why not? 2) they’re not better than me 3) that way more people will know how to pronounce my name correctly. Oh wait it’s Harry and Meghan, not William and Kate. Anyway, comment still stands.” —Madeleine Aggeler, staff writer
“The baby should be named Edith. It would be an homage/wink to Downton Abbey, which the monarchy is based on, and to Edith of Wessex, queen of England from 1025–1075. And then there is also Saint Edith of Wilton, a British nun who died circa 984, at age 23 or so. Like Meghan, Edith of Wilton (a.k.a. Eagdyth), ‘was reported to have always dressed magnificently.’ She later inspired a cult.” —Edith Zimmerman, senior health writer
“I think it would be nice if they named the baby Lisa because according to babynames.com, Lisa is short for Elizabeth, so that means it would be a touching tribute to both the queen and me, but especially me.” —Lisa Ryan, senior writer
“If you want a name that will really set this baby apart: Dudley. Nicknames include Dud and Dudely. When you say Dud-lee, it is actually impossible to be in a bad mood — key for these early weeks with a newborn.” — Jen Gann, essays editor and mother of Dudley, age 2
“For either boy or girl, I think Kelly is a beautiful name.” —Kelly Conaboy, writer-at-large
You’re welcome, Meghan! Let us know!
This post has been updated.