As you may or may not know, last week Prince Harry and Megan Markle announced the name of their new baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The name has been viewed by many as quite random, and one bookmaker even said the Archie has gone down as ‘one of the biggest surprises in Royal betting history'.
For one woman though, the newly born Baby Sussex has already proven lucky. The unnamed woman placed a bet on Archie and picked up over £18k for guessing right.
Read on to find out more about this amazing story, as well as everything you need to know about Royal betting and special markets.
BET ON THE ROYAL FAMILY AT PADDY POWER TODAYThe Winning Bet
One of the most amazing things about this story is that the name has a special significance for the winning woman. She chose to place a £120 bet on the name Archie (at odds of 150/1) as her grandson had also been given the name. Explaining her decision to place such an unlikely bet, the grandmother said:
‘The reason I went for Archie was because my grandson, who is born on the same day as the prince, is named Archie. I thought I'd go for a cheeky bet as perhaps my Archie would bring some luck'.
Well, the woman clearly got one thing right as the name Archie definitely brought her some luck. From the bet, the woman pocketed £18,120, which she says will go towards her grandson's future.
Why Was Archie Worth So Much?
Archie isn't a historical Royal name and so it seemed very unlikely that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would give their baby this name. In fact, the name seemed so unlikely that the odds were very much stacked against it. At the time of the Royal birth, Archie was one of the outsider names, with odds varying from 150/1 to 100/1.
What Other Odds Were Given For the Royal Baby Name?
Royal betting is a specialist subject, but it's a very popular betting market too. Alex Apati, from Ladbrokes, estimated that over £1 million would be won when the baby was born, so we're still expecting some other winners to have amazing stories too.
The Royal baby has caused quite the stir in the British press, which is probably why betting on Royal baby markets was so common this year. Just a month ago, Meghan Markle revealed that she wasn't sure if she would announce when the baby was born, as she longed for some privacy after months of public pregnancy.
Whilst that didn't end up being the case (the couple announced the birth of their son on the same day he was born), this warning from Meghan didn't stop punters across the world from betting on a range of Royal baby markets, including:
- Due Date
- Gender
- Name
The name of the Royal baby also caused some controversy, as many Royal experts predicted that the couple may opt for a name which honoured the Markle's African heritage. This, of course, sent the tabloids wild but for all the commotion, it seemed that the public and the bookmakers always predicted that the couple would pick something more traditional.
In the run-up to the birth of Baby Sussex, the odds looked stacked in favour of a classic English name. William Hill was giving the following odds just days before the grand reveal:
- Alexander – 3/1
- Spencer – 3/1
- James – 5/1
- Phillip – 6/1
- Arthur – 6/1
- Albert -8/1
What Is Royal Betting?
Royal betting falls under a category of bets called ‘specials'. These kinds of bets are usually one-off events, which aren't connected to sports. Other types of special bets include betting on the chance of a white Christmas, the outcome of a General Election and so on.
Royal betting is big business for bookmakers and, as such, it's a very popular choice for punters too. Over the past several years, bookies are sure to have made millions on Royal bets, which first focused around William and Kate and now Harry and Meghan.
If you missed your chance to take a punt on the name of Baby Sussex, then don't worry as there's plenty of other Royal bets to get involved in too.
You could place a wager on whether Harry and Meghan will announce a second child by 2020 (4/5 at the moment), or wait until the next Royal event and take a guess at what colour hat the Queen will wear.
Royal Betting Tips
Finding betting tips for Royal events can be quite difficult, as there aren't as many Royal pundits as there are, say, football experts. However, that isn't to say that the same rules don't apply. If you want to make a royal bet, it's a good idea to do your research.
Looking into the Royal Family's history is a good place to start. Whilst Archie may have been a huge surprise, usually, the family abide by convention. This means that Royal babies often share names with historical figures and that outfits choices are usually constricted to conservative colours.
