Royal Family Odds: What does the Future Hold for Megan and Harry?

When he originally pitched the critically acclaimed series “The Crown” to Netflix, show creator Peter Morgan explained that he wanted to produce episodes featuring the royal family over the span of six decades, which was expected to translate into six seasons. However, Morgan may need to rethink that timeline as Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, have provided him another season’s worth of content.

One week into the new year, Harry and Meghan announced they would step back as senior members of the royal family, carve out a progressive new role, become financially independent, while continuing to support Queen Elisabeth as they split time living in North America, namely Canada, and the United Kingdom. As one would expect, the announcement sent shockwaves through the U.K. and Buckingham Palace as it’s evident Prince Harry and his wife are interested in living life out of the public spotlight and without the pressures of royal family obligations.

A few days following the announcement, Queen Elizabeth released this statement:

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."

The Queen’s blessing didn’t stop bookmakers at Bovada from setting odds that her Majesty will strip Harry and Meghan of their royal titles in 2020.

Odds as of January 16 at Bovada

This isn’t the first time betting odds have been tied to the royal family. In the past, prop bets have ranged from what Prince William and Kate would name their babies to odds that Prince Charles is one day named king. Some pundits believe Prince Harry and Meghan are eager to start a private life because he’s sixth in line to the throne. His line of succession trails behind his father Charles, brother William, two nephews, Prince George and Louis and niece, Princess Charlotte.

If Harry does indeed want to make a life for himself, odds have been set on his first new job before the end of 2020. While actor or reality television star is the favorite at +105, there is great value on “writer” at +275 if he were to ink a memoir or some type of early autobiography to-date.

Odds as of January 16 at Bovada

In the days following Prince Harry and Meghan’s Instagram announcement, it was reported that the Duchess had already inked a deal with Disney. According to media outlet Deadline, Markle has a voiceover deal with Disney in exchange for a donation to an elephant conservation charity. The report goes on to say the deal was signed before the couple’s announcement.

Once the lead actress on USA Network’s series Suits, Markle is now in a position to pursue her acting career once again, albeit behind the camera to start. However, her odds to voiceover the next Disney princess aren’t great.

Odds as of January 16 at Bovada

What’s the Difference Between Sports Betting and a Bet on the Royal Family?

When you bet on sports like football, you have handicapping information at your fingertips. There are sportscasters and talking heads giving their two cents, and major outlets covering the games. Plus, Odds Shark’s NFL experts weigh in with the best betting tips you can get. You can look at a receiver’s numbers, you can see how a team performs against the spread, and you can look at consensus data to see which side the betting public is heavily favoring.

When it comes to betting on the Royal Family, things aren’t as clear. Instead of relying on ATS info and other stats like points per play, you’d look at gossip sites, entertainment shows and the chatter on Twitter. However, you don’t have time to do that, so we’ll do it for you.

You may be thinking, “I watch The Crown. I’m ready to bet.” Although Netflix has produced an entertaining oeuvre about the Royal Family, it should not be used as a handicapping tool. The show may get some stuff right, but it does take liberties to create tension and more interesting storylines. Seriously, the guy from Dexter plays JFK. It’s only one episode but it’s a stretch. 

What do the + and - Signs Mean For Royal Family Betting Odds?

As with betting on sports, there is a favorite and an underdog. The minus sign (-) indicates the fave and the plus sign (+) shows the dog. Since these are props and not moneyline bets where you are taking one team to win over the other, if you wanted to bet the favorite, you would take the option with the minus sign (-) or if there are only odds with plus signs (+) you would choose the option with the lowest odds.