The Duchess of Sussex has been sending out copies of her forthcoming debut children’s book to her closest friends, including a beautiful handwritten note on the first page.
Photographer Gray Malin shared the cover of Meghan’s story, The Bench, on his Instagram Stories ahead of its release on 8 June.
He captioned the video for his 35.2k followers: “Received some royal mail. Congrats on your new book M.”
As Gray opened the book, a beautifully handwritten note from the Duchess could be seen on the left-hand side of the page, which read: “From one parent to another – all my love from my family to yours. As ever, Meghan.”
The video clip also showed that the first illustration in the book by bestselling artist, Christian Robinson, appears to be one of Prince Harry and baby Archie walking hand-in-hand together. The Bench is all about the “special bond between father and son – as seen through a mother’s eyes”.
Meghan revealed that Harry and Archie were the inspiration behind the story, saying: “The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born. That poem became this story.
“Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolour 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.”
Meghan is believed to have first met Gray back in 2015 when she was living in Toronto while filming the US legal drama Suits.
A post on the photographer’s website shows the future Duchess popping into his Los Angeles-based studio, where they discussed her home décor. Meghan is a fan of Gray’s work and revealed that her mother, Doria Ragland, first bought her one of his prints.
