Royal baby girl will be named after Diana - biographer

File photo / Greg Bowker

Almost a month after it was revealed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a second child, some punters are placing massive sums on its name.

With speculation rife as to what Prince William and Kate will call their new child, one of the most authoritative of royal authors claimed today that he is convinced they will name it after Diana.

Andrew Morton - who wrote a biography of the Princess of Wales which revealed the truth behind her strained royal relationships - said a daughter would be given the name Elizabeth Diana Windsor.

Mr Morton told The Sun on Sunday reporter Ben Griffiths: "Close friends to William and Kate have told me that if it is a girl they want to name the baby after Diana."

Mr Morton added that the couple had to consider that many royals would be furious if the baby was christened Diana Elizabeth, due to the "hostility" between Diana and the royal family.

In November 2010, William famously gave Kate the engagement ring that once belonged to Diana, saying it was "my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement".

Following Mr Morton's claims, Elizabeth became 10/1 favourite for the name with Coral. James is second at 11/1, Victoria third at 12/1 and Alexandra fourth at 14/1.

Kate's latest pregnancy was announced on September 8, as it was revealed she was suffering from very acute morning sickness and being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace.

The couple are choosing to base their family in Norfolk, but the new baby will be delivered at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, central London, where Prince George was born in July 2013.

Mr Morton, 60, wrote international bestseller Diana: Her True Story in 1992 and a revised edition after her death based on taped responses from Diana to his written questions.

Those recordings, about seven hours of taped responses, were secretly made in Kensington Palace in 1991 during a series of interviews conducted through an intermediary.

In the tapes, the princess talks openly about her life before marrying Prince Charles, her long battle with bulimia, her suicide attempts, the heartache over her husband's long affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and her strained relationships with other members of the Royal family.

- Daily Mail