Meghan Markle appears in first interview since Lillibet’s birth
Meghan Markle has used her first interview since the birth of her and Prince Harry’s daughter, Lillibet Diana, to promote her new book The Bench.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke with NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday: Picture This radio show and revealed that the book was inspired by a gift she gave her husband for his first Father’s Day - a garden bench.
“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,” she said.
The 39-year-old said she made a plaque for the bench with a short poem she wrote on it, which sparked the initial idea for her book.
“This is your bench, Where life will begin, For you and our son, Our baby, our kin,” it reads.
The Bench depicts different types of fathers and sons bonding over activities on or near a bench.
“I really hope that people can see this as a love story that transcends the story of my family,” she said.
“I often find, and especially in this past year, I think so many of us realised how much happens in the quiet.
“It was definitely moments like that, watching them from out of the window and watching [my husband] just, you know, rock him to sleep or carry him or, you know … those lived experiences, from my observation, are the things that I infused in this poem.”
Meghan also said her and Harry’s son Archie is a “voracious” reader and “loves” the book.
“I knew our son would notice all of those elements, and he loves the book, which is great because he has a voracious appetite for books and constantly when we read him a boko he goes ‘again, again, again’.
“But now the fact he loves The Bench and we can say ‘Mumm wrote this for you’ feels amazing,” the duchess said.
Meghan also shared that the book contains several personal and family details hidden throughout the book, including Princess Diana’s favourite flower and the Sussexes’ rescue chickens.
“I think you can find sweet little moments that we hid in there - of my favourite flower, even my husband’s mum’s favourite flower, forget-me-nots,” she said
“We wanted to make sure those were included in there. There are many, many special details and love that went into this book.”
Image: Duke of Sussex / Instagram