Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh walk at Broadlands in Romsey, southern England in this undated photograph taken in 2007.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh walk at Broadlands in Romsey, southern England in this undated photograph taken in 2007. The Queen and Prince Philip will mark their diamond wedding anniversary with a special service of thanksgiving on November 19, 2007. REUTERS/Fiona Hanson/Pool

The Queen may be abdicating on Christmas Day, that’s what some people are betting on. A British bookmaker has stopped taking bets on Queen Elizabeth II’s announcement of her abdication after receiving unusual high wagers from gamblers who think the UK monarch will be giving up her throne.

Bookmaker Coral received several online inquiries about the odds offered for the Queen’s abdication in her Christmas message. The bet started with £200 [$365], and was followed with smaller bets placed within an hour on Wednesday. It was offering odds of 10-1 on the abdication announcement in the traditional Christmas broadcast.

The inquiries on the subject were “so specific” and close together that they caught the suspicion of the bookmaker. And before the betting became bigger, Coral put a stop to it.

“Throughout the year there has been major speculation about the Queen’s future but today’s gamble has really caught us by surprise,” a spokesman from the bookmaker told Daily Telegraph. “As far as we are concerned, there’s no smoke without fire when bets like this come through all in succession, so we have decided to be safe rather than sorry and pull the plug on the market.”

The Buckingham Palace wouldn’t comment on the bets, but a spokesman said the Queen made a vow to be of service for her entire life.

“We always remind people about the Queen’s pledge to the nation and to the Commonwealth that she made on her 21st birthday in 1947, when she pledged that whether her life be long or short, her entire life would be in service of the nation,” spokesman David Pogson told Bloomberg.

The Queen once again pledged her devotion to the crown in 1953 during her coronation, saying, “Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.”

Queen Elizabeth, 88, is the second longest-serving British monarch following Queen Victoria. She has been in service since she inherited the throne from her father, King George VI, in 1953 at the age of 25. While her monarch contemporaries have stepped down to give way to their heirs, the Queen appears to be still capable and strong enough to reign. Her oldest son and heir Prince Charles, 66, is on standby for the longest time in the country’s history.