Meghan Markle reveals she bought Prince Harry a bench to ‘have a base with Archie’ after writing picture book
MEGHAN Markle has revealed she bought Prince Harry a bench on his first Father’s Day to “have a base with Archie”.
The duchess recalled that she was wondering what to give her husband before alighting on the “sentimental” idea two years ago.
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In an interview with NPR, she said: “As most of us do, you go, what am I going to get them as a gift?
“And I thought I just wanted something sentimental and a place for him to have as a bit of a home base with our son.”
The Duchess also whipped up a poem, attaching it on a plaque to Harry’s bench, to reveal the moments she hopes the family will share on the bench.
It read: “This is your bench. Where life will begin/For you and our son/Our baby, our kin.”
Now, after the birth of her daughter Lilibet Diana, and this year’s Father’s Day, Meghan has revealed that the inspired her first children’s book named ‘The Bench’.
The book, released in the UK on June 8, shows a series of pictures and poems related to fathers and sons spending time together on a bench.
The duchess has previously stated that the picture book is a “love story” about growing with Harry “in good times and bad.”
Meghan, 39, said to NPR: “There are lots of little small moments like that that were personal memories or anecdotes that I wanted infused in there.
“It’s a love story. It’s really just about growing with someone and having this deep connection and this trust so that, be at good times or bad, you know that you had this person.”
The duchess also bragged the book could “model a new world” and shows “another side of masculinity”.
On her Archewell website, she said of the book’s success: “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.
“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.
“Thank you for supporting me in this special project.”
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The Bench was released on June 8 in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.
Despite roaring success in the US, it failed to break the Top 50 in the UK for sales, shifting just 3,212 copies in its first week of publication with an average rating of four stars, The Mirror reports.
And it is already appearing on reduced shelves and in bargain bins in book shops across the country.