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Meghan Markle Reads Her Book ‘The Bench’ in New Storytime Video

Meghan Markle is taking a page out of Sarah Ferguson's book by reading children's stories online.

The Duchess of Sussex just appeared in a brand-new video, where she did a read aloud of her recently-released book, The Bench.

The New York Times bestselling picture book was originally inspired by a Father's Day present that Markle gave to her husband, Prince Harry. Upon announcing the publication, she said, “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.”

Now, the duchess is working with the account Brightly Storytime to read the tale, which shows the evolution of a relationship between a father and son. “Hi and welcome to Brightly Storytime. I'm Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and today, I'm going to read to you my book called The Bench,” she says at the start of the video.

Markle also explains that the illustrator of the book, Christian Robinson, made the artwork specifically at her request. She said, “I asked him to do something special for me and use watercolors, which isn't the normal medium that he works in, but he did it to make this extra special. I hope you love the pictures as much as you love the words.”

For those who haven't already read the book, this is an exciting full view into the story, and it feels even more special with Markle being the one narrating it. A lot of detail went into the making of this book, and if readers keep their eyes peeled, they can find hidden meanings—like a reference to Princess Diana's favorite flower, as well as a cameo by the Sussex's newborn daughter, Lilibet.

Thank you, Meghan, for this much-needed surprise.

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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.