'Princess Alice' could cost bookmakers 500,000 pounds

London: "Princess Alice" could cost bookmakers a whopping 500,000 pounds in payouts if Kate Middleton gives birth to a girl and names her Alice.

The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth to a blonde daughter called Alice tomorrow, according to the instincts of the British betting public.

Despite the fact that the royal couple do not know the gender of their second child, punters seem convinced they have inside information, and around nine in 10 bets have been placed on the arrival of a princess.

Industry insiders say that a "Princess Alice" would cost bookmakers around 500,000 pounds in payouts to those who staked money on the sex or name of Prince William and wife Kate's second child, The Telegraph reported.

Despite the seeming impossibility of anyone knowing the name, so much money has been placed on Alice that the odds with the bookmaker Ladbrokes are as short as 5/4 -- little more than even money, despite there being thousands of possibilities.

Jessica Bridge, the company's spokesman, was quoted as saying, "The support for Alice is starting to get silly now, but we've been left with no option but to cut the odds as punters relentlessly back the girl/Alice combination."

Punters were right about the name George last time, making it the overwhelming favourite before Prince George's birth, and that may have convinced people that someone, somewhere, knows something this time too.

Alice is such an overwhelming favourite that the next most fancied name, Elizabeth, has comparatively long odds of 6/1, as does Charlotte, with Victoria and Diana both at 14/1.

Bookmakers are also taking bets on the day the baby will be born, and April 20 quickly emerged as the favourite in early betting.

However, the Duchess' due date has been reported as April 25 and there have also been suggestions it is April 23.

Parking restrictions have already been put in place outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, in anticipation of the birth, although the restrictions will only be in place until April 30, suggesting doctors expect the baby to have arrived before then.

If the baby is born on Tuesday, he or she will share its birthday with the Queen, who will be 89.