Meghan Markle Is Releasing a Children’s Book—Based on a Poem She Wrote for Prince Harry

Meghan Markle is releasing a children’s book—based on a Father’s Day poem she wrote for Prince Harry. 

The Duchess of Sussex announced the news on Tuesday, May 4. The book, titled The Bench, examines the relationship between fathers and sons 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,” Markle said in a press release, according to People. “That poem became this story.”

The Bench, out June 8, features illustrations from Christian Robinson. “Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor 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,” Markle said in the release. “My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”

Books are an essential part of the Sussex household. On Archie’s first birthday in May 2020, Save the Children shared a video of Markle reading him his favorite book, Duck! Rabbit!

As People notes, Markle isn’t the first royal to release a children’s book. Prince Charles published The Old Man of Lochnagar in 1980 and Sarah Ferguson wrote a series about Budgie the Little Helicopter, which became an animated TV show.

In the release, Meghan Markle is called a “mother, wife, feminist, and activist [who] currently resides in her home state of California with her family, two dogs, and a growing flock of rescue chickens.” She and Prince Harry are expecting their second, a girl, this summer. I’m sure Markle’s book will be in their reading rotation for both kids, and I hope we get some videos of it.