Duchess Meghan announces new children’s book based on Father’s Day poem to Prince Harry

(NEW YORK) — Duchess Meghan is adding a new role to her resume in her post-royal life.

Meghan has written her first children’s book, The Bench, that will be published in June.

The book, described by its publisher, Random House Children’s Books, as being about “the special bond between father and son — as seen through a mother’s eyes,” is based on a Father’s Day poem that Meghan wrote to Harry.

The couple share a son, Archie, who will turn 2 on May 6.

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

Speaking of the book’s illustrations, done by Christian Robinson, Meghan added, “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.”

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

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are raising Archie in Montecito, California, where they moved after stepping down last year from their roles as senior working members of Britain’s royal family. The Sussexes will welcome their second child, a girl, this summer.

Since moving to California, the Sussexes have taken on a broad portfolio of new ventures, most recently Harry’s new job at a tech start-up.

Harry and Meghan also have a multiyear partnership with Spotify that will see them both hosting and producing podcasts.

The couple signed a deal with Netflix last year to produce films and series, including docu-series, documentaries, features and children’s programming, according to a source close to the couple.

The Archewell Foundation is the Sussexes’ organization that oversees their nonprofit work as well as their audio and production ventures.

Meghan’s new children’s book marks the first project she has announced since she and Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a tell-all interview that aired in March.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.