Meghan Markle releases a book inspired by Harry and Archie’s father-son relationship
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day."
By Chanelle Mansour
Meghan Markle has written her first book, which is inspired by Prince Harry and Archie’s close relationship.
Titled The Bench, the children’s book will be out on June 8 and focuses on the special bond between father and son – as seen through a mother’s eyes.
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born. That poem became this story,” Meghan said.
She added that the book is “layered” in ethereal watercolours, which were illustrated by Christian Robinson, that aim to 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,” the Duchess added.
“My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make up, as much as it does with me,” she said.
The 40-page book, announced just a day before the couple’s first child, Archie is set to turn two, will also be narrated by Meghan for the audio version.
The Bench will cost $24 and will be released on June 8 this year.
It draws inspiration from Harry and Archie’s relationship.
The Bench, which costs $24, will be released around the same time that their second child, a girl, is due.
In their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan revealed that their daughter will be born in summertime, which in the US is between June and August.
“Grateful, having any child, any one or a two would have been amazing, but to have a boy and then a girl… now we’ve got our family and we’ve got four of us,” Harry said.
Harry and Meghan are expecting their second child together very soon.
Harry has previously spoken about how fatherhood has influenced his life, specifically his work of combating climate change.
“The moment you become a father everything really does change because then you start to realise, well, what is the point in bringing a new person into this world when they get to your age and it’s on fire?” he said in a video clip for WaterBear Network.
In the video, Harry mentioned that becoming a father to his son helped him hyper-focus on the importance of tackling global warming and ensuring a healthy world for the next generation, including Archie.
Harry says, “The moment you become a father everything really does change…”
This article first appeared on New Idea and has been republished with permission.
