Meghan Markle has written a best-selling children’s book!
Since its publication last week, The Duchess of Sussex’s illustrated book The Bench has risen to the top of The New York Times Bestseller list for children’s picture books.
On Wednesday, June 16, the Duchess of Sussex went to her and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation website to thank fans for their support of a project that obviously means a lot to her.
“While this poem began as a love letter to my husband and son, I’m encouraged to see that its universal themes of love, representation and inclusivity are resonating with communities everywhere,” said the 39-year-old mother of two. “In many ways, pursuing a more compassionate and equitable world begins with these core values.”
“Equally, to depict another side of masculinity — one grounded in connection, emotion, and softness — is to model a world that so many would like to see for their sons and daughters alike.”
The ex-actor ended by thanking her followers for their support of her “special project.”
The Bench was created as a Father’s Day gift for Harry after the birth of their first child, Archie, in May 2019, and depicts the “special relationship between father and son, as seen through a mother’s eyes.” Christian Robinson, a Caldecott Medalist, also illustrated the book, which includes images of Harry and Archie feeding their family’s rescue chickens at their new house in Montecitio, California, as well as an illustration of Meghan carrying their newborn baby, Lilibet Diana, in a sling.
This isn’t the first time The Duchess of Sussex has been a part of a project that has achieved a significant milestone.
Together: Our Community Cookbook, for which Markle penned the foreword, debuted at the top of the non-fiction rankings on Amazon and The Bookseller in 2018.
Meghan’s book has earned 286 reviews on Amazon worldwide, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.
The most recent reviewer, on the other hand, said: “Truly abysmal. Bad grammar, plodding laboured writing with meaning and style sacrificed for rhyme.”
Another reader said, “Awful story book, no real story to it, doesn’t flow, illustrations are poor. Not really got much going for it.”
However, one customer commented, “Beautiful story, beautifully written. My son and his dad’s favourite.
“Duchess Meghan is such a good writer. The illustrations are amazing.”
The royal is described as “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” in the book’s bio.
Last month, the Los Angeles native revealed that she was working on a picture book.
In a May statement, the Deal or No Deal alum said, “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. That poem became this story. This representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens .”
Meghan went on to say that she hopes the project “resonates with every family, regardless of makeup, as much as it does” with her own.
