The 'Bizarre' Thing About Meghan Markle's Children's Book - Exclusive
Count another achievement up her alley! Meghan Markle will soon be a published children's book author. The Duchess of Sussex is releasing her debut children's book on June 8, 2021, titled "The Bench." As Meghan said in a press release, the book is based on a poem she wrote for Prince Harry after their son Archie was born. According to a tweet by royal correspondent Omid Scobie, the book speaks of "a special bond between father and son as seen through a mother's eyes."
Per the tweet, the book will capture the "evolving and expanding relationship between fathers and sons" while reminding the readers about the many ways love can be shared and expressed in a modern family. "The Bench" will be illustrated by award-winning artist Christian Robinson and published by Random House Children's Books. According to Harper's BAZAAR, Meghan will also narrate the audiobook.
Although everything may sound positive for Meghan, there's something about the book that goes against their independence from the royal family. Interestingly enough, a glimpse at the cover of "The Bench" reveals that her "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex" title is used for the book, instead of her name. Meghan's book might stack up online and in bookstores across the world, but the fact that her royal title is used to promote it is a "bizarre choice," a royal expert told Nicki Swift. Keep reading for the royal expert's reasoning as to why Meghan's royal title would be used — and why it's strange.
Why is Meghan's royal title being used, instead of her full name?
"I think the most significant takeaway from Meghan Markle's children's book is that she is still utilizing her Duchess of Sussex title," Kinsey Schofield, founder of ToDiForDaily.com, a website about the British royal family, told Nicki Swift exclusively. "This is a bizarre choice when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have gone out of their way to both physically and emotionally distance themselves from the royal family."
Schofield wonders why Meghan would still want to promote herself with the title if her time with the royal family was so "mentally draining." Therefore, all fingers seem to point towards her PR team, per Schofield. "It seems like her PR team finds notable value in the royal brand in the United States, otherwise, why doesn't she use the name she is best known for?" Schofield doubled down on this stance, noting: "I think if the monarchy is so backwards, ignorant, and cruel, I would not want to be associated with it through my name or title. This seems to be a decision made by a PR team or [an] act by the Sussexes that contradicts their accusations to Oprah Winfrey."
Schofield also believes that the decision to play around with Meghan's name was not something that Meghan herself was quite aware of. Still, Schofield opines that the use of Meghan's royal title on the book cover, instead of her full name, may suggest that she wants to be detached from her past (specifically, from her estranged father, Thomas Markle).