Meghan Markle today announced she has written a £12.99 ($18.99) children’s book called The Bench, which is inspired by Prince Harry and her son Archie and comes illustrated with pictures of a red-headed soldier.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, said the book – which will come out in the UK and US simultaneously – was inspired by a poem she had written for Harry on Father’s Day the month after Archie was born and would explore the ‘special bond between father and son’ as ‘seen through a mother’s eyes’.
The story, which will be published on June 8 by Random House Children’s Books, will be illustrated by bestselling Californian artist Christian Robinson, who was brought up by his grandmother in a one-bedroom flat also shared with his brother, two cousins and aunt.
A publicity release said Meghan, who chose to use her title on the cover of the book, wanted the story to be told through an ‘inclusive lens’ and will feature a ‘diverse group of father and sons’. Meghan will also narrate the audiobook costing $4.99 – which together with the hardback version could earn her millions from sales.
‘My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.’
In one illustration, a red-headed soldier wearing an American-style Army cap is seen holding his young son aloft as a woman watches on crying from a window. This is a likely reference to her and Harry, who served in Afghanistan with the Blues and Royals. The words read: ‘This is your bench, Where life begins, For you and our son our baby, our kin’.
The royal, who went by the pen name ‘Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’, said in a statement: ‘The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born.