Heavy betting over the last 24 hours that Prince William will pop the question to his girlfriend Kate Middleton has prompted bookmakers William Hill to stop taking bets on a royal engagement.

"The royal engagement seems to be a question of when, not if, and we were giving away money by continuing to accept bets," said a spokesman on Wednesday.

William Hill has received over 100 bets in the past 24 hours -- with the biggest 5,000 pounds -- and stands to lose over 30,000 pounds if the couple do announce their engagement.

Middleton, 24, is the daughter of affluent parents who sent her to private school and live in a five-bedroomed house in the heart of the English countryside.

She and William shared a house as students at St Andrews University in Scotland.

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