Wild baby names Harry and Meghan are considering

The countdown to the Sussex baby is on. Photo / Getty Images

If there is one thing the royal family dislikes, more than republicans, Princess Michael of Kent popping around for a cream tea and cuts to the civil list, it's change.

For decades, if not centuries, the noble institution of the British monarchy has puttered along with surprising stamina thanks to a persistent and conscious effort to maintain the status quo.

Naming the newest, tiniest members of the family is no exception.

For Windsor mums and dads-to-be, at least those whose place in the line of succession starts with a single digit, there is finite list of options.

Traditional monikers such as Charles, Henry, Elizabeth, Margaret and James have long been the go. No Earl Rocket or Lady Juniper Windsor here please.

That was before. Before a successful, divorced, foreigner fell for a Prince and he swept her off her feet with his rakish charm and ability to shotgun cans of lager and they became the world's newest power couple.

With her arrival on Kensington Palace's doorstep, the woman formerly known as Meghan Markle has been happily re-writing the royal wife manual.

Gone are nude tights and pliantly visiting the home counties — in is loudly advocating for gender equality while wearing vertiginous Jimmy Choo heels

All of which makes guessing just what the newlyweds might name their first child, believed to be due sometime in the second half of April, more of a challenge.

SCENARIO ONE: IF HARRY AND MEGHAN TOE THE LINE

According to society bible Tatler, the strongest contenders, should the couple chose to not make the Queen choke on her afternoon digestive biscuit, are said to be Diana, Alice, Grace, Victoria, and Amelia for a girl and Arthur, Albert, James, Edward, and Frederick if it's a boy.

British betting company Ladbrokes also has the shortest odds on the littlest Windsor being named Diana, with Albert the most popular option for a lad.

But, and it's a big 'but', that is assuming that Harry and Meghan decided to follow regal convention and there is every chance they might simply decide to go their own way.

SCENARIO TWO: IF HARRY AND MEGHAN DITCH THE ROYAL RULE BOOK

The former actress is, obviously, American and spent several years living in Toronto. It has been suggested she might decide to follow in the footsteps of Canadian transplant Autumn Phillips, wife of Harry's cousin (and Princess Anne's son) Peter Phillips, and jettison the conventional roster of kids' sobriquets in favour of something a little more contemporary. These days, Savannah and Isla Phillips are regularly spotted getting up to all sorts of naughty japes with their third cousin Prince George, often at the polo.

In this vein, Matilda, Winston and Spencer are all rumoured to be on the table.

Meghan's maternal grandparents were named Janette and Alvin and some commentators have suggested she may include these names as a familial nod.

BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SETTLE FOR JUST ONE

Royal babies, along with being forced to love dorgis and perfecting their wave, are lumped with not one or two but three, four or even five names.

Either way, we're going to have to be patient

Sometimes even royal new parents can't quite make up their minds. In 1982, it took Charles and Diana a week before they announced they had settled on William.

With Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Kate and Wills waited two long days before revealing to the world the monikers they had chosen, while with Prince Louis, it took the Cambridges four days to work out what to call the tyke.

Personally, I am crossing my fingers for Matilda. Remember, they revealed to the world they were expecting while Down Under and they do seem to adore us, their antipodean subjects.