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meghan markle the bench© Photo: Getty Images

Meghan Markle and baby Lilibet Diana make appearance in Duchess' new book

The Bench was released on 8 June

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Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
June 8, 2021
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The Duchess of Sussex released her debut children's book on Tuesday and her newborn daughter Lilibet appears to be featured among the illustrations.

The Bench tells the story of the special relationship between father and son, as seen through a mother's eyes, and several pictures appear to depict Prince Harry and Archie.

The final illustration shows a red-headed man and a small boy feeding chickens in a garden, while a woman, with brunette hair, tends to a vegetable patch holding a baby – possibly a nod to baby Lili, who was born on 4 June.   

READ: Listen to Meghan Markle narrate her debut children's book inspired by Harry and Archie

WATCH: Illustrator Christian Robinson talks about working with the Duchess

The scene is strikingly similar to the Sussexes' home life at their Montecito home in Santa Barbara, with the couple revealing they kept a flock of rescue chickens and grow their own vegetables during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.

the bench illustrations

The illustration that appears to depict the Sussexes at home

The Duchess has said that her debut tale was inspired by her husband and her son, 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."

The image on the opening pages also appears to depict Harry and Archie, showing a red-headed man walking hand-in-hand with his son.

MORE: Prince Harry hinted at liking name 'Lily' years before daughter's birth

MORE: Why we might not see a photo of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's new baby for a while

the bench cover

Listen to Meghan Markle narrate her new book on Audible - free with sign-ups - or purchase the hardback version for £9.99 / $13.20

Another appears to show Harry holding his baby son, who was born in May 2019, on a bench, joined by two dogs, who look strikingly similar to the Sussexes' pups, Guy and Pula.

The words alongside the illustration read: "This is your bench, where life will begin, for you and our son, our baby, our kin."

Meghan has dedicated The Bench to her husband and son, with a very personal dedication included at the front of the book and painted in watercolours by the book's illustrator, Christian Robinson.

It reads: "For the man and the boy, who make my heart go pump-pump."

Christian spoke about working with the Duchess on the Today Show, saying: "The origin is in a specific bench that Meghan watched Harry and Archie bond on, but it was important for us both that the story connects with as many readers as possible. There's also, I guess, diversity with the types of benches that we see in this book."

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