Did Prince William Just Accidentally Reveal the Sex of Royal Baby No. 3?

Josh Duboff
Updated

As we near the arrival of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s third child, anticipation mounts as the barricades have gone up around the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge will be giving birth. Of course, the question looming largest is whether Prince George and Princess Charlotte will soon have a baby brother or a baby sister.

And . . . well . . . we don’t want to make too much of this, but Prince William does seem to have provided a potentially major clue about the sex of the baby this week. William watched from the stands on Tuesday as his preferred soccer team, Aston Villa, took on their rivals, Cardiff City. William looked to be extremely pleased when his squad was victorious, and could be seen—yes—fist-pumping in the stands. Afterward, high on the win perhaps, he reportedly told player Jack Grealish, who had scored the winning goal, “I’m going to insist the baby is called Jack.” He then quickly added, “. . . or Jackie.”

Now, this could have been a completely meaningless comment, something like a joke: he was talking to a guy named Jack so he said that he was going to name his baby Jack, not related at all to whether or not he’s having a boy or a girl. (According to many reporters, including Vanity Fair’s own Katie Nicholl, Kate and William don’t even know the baby’s sex.) Or, on the other hand, it could be an extremely telling slip: perhaps he’s actually known for months he’s having a boy, and even forgets sometimes the world doesn’t know like he does, and instinctively blurted out the Jack comment, quickly trying to save face with the “Jackie” addendum, realizing what he had done.

Right now, oddsmakers have Albert and Arthur as the front-runners for the name choice, if the couple end up having a boy, after all. If it’s a girl, Alice and Mary are the odds-on favorites. The palace has not confirmed Kate’s due date, but most reports have it at April 23.

Kate Middleton’s Most Striking Looks in Her Third Pregnancy

October 10: For Kate’s first appearance following the announcement of her third pregnancy: a light blue lacy dress. (Get ready for a whole lot of blue, you guys. More consecutive blue than you’ve probably dealt with for some time.)
October 17: Ah, here we have a blue coat over a black turtleneck (though we must admit to being distracted by the extreme number of gold buttons on display here).

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October 17: Ah, here we have a blue coat over a black turtleneck (though we must admit to being distracted by the extreme number of gold buttons on display here).
By Dominic Lipinski/PA Images/Getty Images.
November 24: As if this stunning gown—worn to the Royal Variety Performance—wasn’t enough of a showstopper, she held these flowers that look like a work of art on their own.

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November 24: As if this stunning gown—worn to the Royal Variety Performance—wasn’t enough of a showstopper, she held these flowers that look like a work of art on their own.
By Karwai Tang/WireImage.
December 14: A darker blue on display here! This is a rare fully matching look from Kate (the gloves! The handbag! The hat!) that is frankly killer.

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December 14: A darker blue on display here! This is a rare fully matching look from Kate (the gloves! The handbag! The hat!) that is frankly killer.
By Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
January 10: We’re now in 2018: a new year, but the same Kate, and the same unwavering preference for blue.

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January 10: We’re now in 2018: a new year, but the same Kate, and the same unwavering preference for blue.
By Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock.
January 10: Later that same day, this outfit perhaps stretches our “only blue!” rule for this journey, but no one can argue there is not some of the color incorporated into the pattern of this dress.
January 23: The dress is a powerful shade, for sure, but that scarf is really what grabs the eye here. It’s not often Kate goes for a funky scarf, so it should be properly appreciated.

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January 23: The dress is a powerful shade, for sure, but that scarf is really what grabs the eye here. It’s not often Kate goes for a funky scarf, so it should be properly appreciated.
By Samir Hussein/WireImage.
January 23: Giving a speech later that day, the funky scarf sadly removed.

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January 23: Giving a speech later that day, the funky scarf sadly removed.
By JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images.
January 24: In a piercingly vibrant light blue coat, Kate looks positively jazzed to be walking into an event, rain be damned.

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January 24: In a piercingly vibrant light blue coat, Kate looks positively jazzed to be walking into an event, rain be damned.
By Karwai Tang/WireImage.
January 31: This is our first blue look from the Sweden-Norway tour. And, generally, this is a whole lot more look than we are used to from Kate, and we will let you decide for yourself what to make of it.
February 1: Deplaning in Norway in style.

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February 1: Deplaning in Norway in style.
By Nigel Waldron/Getty Images.
February 1: C’mon, we could write literally anything about the coat here; we know you’re not going to be able to stare at anything other than Kate’s hat.

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February 1: C’mon, we could write literally anything about the coat here; we know you’re not going to be able to stare at anything other than Kate’s hat.
By Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty Images.
February 1: To meet Norway’s king and queen, we have Kate in blue yet again! (In case it hasn’t fully registered, she has really been wearing a whole lot of blue this pregnancy.)

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February 1: To meet Norway’s king and queen, we have Kate in blue yet again! (In case it hasn’t fully registered, she has really been wearing a whole lot of blue this pregnancy.)
By Samir Hussein/WireImage.
February 7: Back in London following the royal tour, and still living for blue.

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February 7: Back in London following the royal tour, and still living for blue.
By Karwai Tang/WireImage.