It’s official, Meghan Markle can now call herself a published children’s book author, following the release of her first book.
Hitting the shelves on June 8, the Duchess of Sussex’s first foray into infant literature is titled The Bench. The story follows the special bond between a father and son, viewed through a mother’s eyes, and naturally, it was inspired by Meghan’s own family with her husband, Prince Harry, and son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
According to an official press release as per Harper’s BAZAAR U.S., the book “captures the evolving and expanding relationship between fathers and sons” and “reminds us of the many ways that love can take shape and be expressed in a modern family.”
Published by Random House Children’s Books, The Bench‘s talent-filled pages don’t end with Meghan’s written skills, in fact each spectacular artwork was illustrated by award-winning artist Christian Robinson.
The Duchess will also voice an audiobook edition of The Bench to be released in the U.S. and Canada, which is only fitting, considering her previous talents in podcasting and her prior narrative contributions.
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” Markle revealed in a statement. “That poem became this story. Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolour illustrations that capture the warmth, joy, and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life; this representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”
The EVP and publisher for Random House Books for Young Readers Group, Mallory Loehr, expressed how thrilled she is for the Duchess of Sussex’s debut into the literary world.
“Meghan’s touching text explores the relationship between fathers and sons and undeniably tugs at the heartstrings that parents and caregivers feel,” Loehr said in a statement. “Christian’s art beautifully matches the tender emotion of Meghan’s words, and every spread is infused with a vibrant sense of joy and love. The Bench is timeless—it feels destined to become one of those books that people will be reading for generations to come.”
As recently as last week, it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex held a virtual roundtable featuring a variety of young women who are making an impact in their schools and communities and honoured female changemakers.
“The Duchess believes girls’ voices can and should be heard, and through Archewell she focuses on providing them with the platforms, tools, and forums to help define a path forward and continue making an impact,” according to the official website for Meghan and Prince Harry’s non-profit organisation, Archewell.
