Not only is Meghan Markle celebrating the arrival of baby Lilibet, her second child with husband Prince Harry, Tuesday, June 8 also brought the arrival of her first children’s book, The Bench.
As People reports, the book focuses on the bond between a father and son, as seen through the eyes of a mother.
Days after the arrival of her daughter Lilibet Diana, Meghan Markle is out with her first children’s book, “The Bench.” @NMoralesNBC spoke exclusively with the book’s illustrator, Christian Robinson. pic.twitter.com/dhWeE7ZfyZ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 8, 2021
In the book’s illustrations, the red-headed, bearded dad bears more than a passing resemblance to Harry. In one page, the father and his son — presumably firstborn Archie — are sitting on a bench, while the mother is in a garden, accompanied by some dogs.
RELATED: Meghan Markle’s Children’s Book Features Illustration Of Prince Harry And Archie
Closer inspection reveals the mother is holding a tiny baby in a sling, representing newborn daughter Lilibet.
First look at Meghan's children's book reveals Harry feeding chickens with Archie and an appearance from Baby Lilibet https://t.co/mqYG0VxePt
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) June 7, 2021
“In The Bench, Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, touchingly captures the evolving and expanding relationship between father and son and reminds us of the many ways that love can take shape and be expressed in a modern family,” reads the book’s synopsis, courtesy of publisher Penguin Random House.
Featuring illustrations by Christian Robinson, the book evokes “a deep sense of warmth, connection, and compassion,” providing “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.”
RELATED: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Virtually Introduce Daughter Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana To The Queen
In a Penguin Random House press release, Meghan explained the inspiration behind the book.
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” she said. “That poem became this story.”
To celebrate the release of the book, Meghan, Harry and the Archewell team “are taking a moment to recognize and support the amazing changemakers who are fostering community, compassion, and connection for every child,” a message on the website reads.
“After more than a year of unprecedented challenges for schoolkids and families everywhere, The Duchess believes the path ahead must include a focus on well-being—and nourishing our communities through food, education, and emotional and mental health support.
“At Archewell, that is often centred on food and essential needs (as evidenced by our partnership with organizations like World Central Kitchen) but also nourishment through learning and connection (as seen in The Duchess’s support of last year’s Save With Stories initiative to raise funds for educational resources like books, toys, and worksheets).”
The message states that, as an example of this belief system, The Duchess and Archewell “have received the support of the publisher of The Bench to distribute 2,000 copies at no cost to libraries, community centres, schools, and nonprofit programs across the country.”
The post reads, “Those receiving free copies include vital organizations like Assistance League® of Los Angeles, which has served the local community for more than 100 years and which The Duke and Duchess visited twice last year to spend time with the children at the organization’s Preschool Learning Center.
“To make this happen, Archewell is working with the team at First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that’s distributed more than 200 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving kids in low-income communities in the United States and Canada. Reaching an average of 5 million kids per year, the First Book Network operates in classrooms, afterschool programs, libraries, community programs, military support programs, and more.”