Meghan Markle: How a poem the duchess wrote for Harry and son inspired her new children’s book

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, will soon be a published author after announcing to the world she has penned a children’s book. The book, The Bench, has been a work in progress after it was originally written as a poem for Prince Harry and son Archie on Father’s Day.

The book explores the bond between father and son as seen through a mother’s eyes. Markle said she wrote the poem which inspired the book shortly after her son Archie was born on what was Harry’s first Father’s Day. The book comes with images from the award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson.

“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” the duchess said in a statement. “That poem became this story. Christian [Robinson] 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.”

The book jacket is an image of a bench under a tree with chickens nearby, giving it that homey and welcoming vibe. The book also shows a military dad in his uniform welcoming his son with open arms just like Harry, a military veteran who served in the British Army as captain.

“My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine,” Markle said.

According to the publisher, Penguin Random House, the book looks at the dynamics of navigating a modern family through the relationship and love that blossom between a father and son.

“Evoking a deep sense of warmth, connection, and compassion, The Bench gives readers a window into shared and enduring moments between a diverse group of fathers and sons—moments of peace and reflection, trust and belief, discovery and learning, and lasting comfort,” a statement said.

According to PEOPLE, Markle is not the first royal to publish a book. Harry’s father, Prince Charles, published The Old Man of Lochnagar in 1980. Proceeds from the book were given to the royal’s charity, The Princes’s Trust. Prince Charles’s book was about an old man who resides in a cave in the cliffs around the royal estate at Balmoral in Scotland, where the Queen spends her summer vacation.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex is expected to narrate an audiobook version of The Bench which will be released by Listening Library for the US and Canadian audiences. Penguin Random House UK Audio will do the same for the UK audiences.

The Bench will hit the shelves on June 8, 2021, with publications said to be done in India, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada, the US, and most certainly the UK.