Meghan Markle is set to give her first interview since giving birth to daughter two weeks ago.
Royal editor Omid Scobie shared on social media on Friday that the Duchess of Sussex will speak to NPR’s Samantha Balaban about her debut children’s book, The Bench. The interview will air Sunday between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET. As theGRIO previously reported, the book has hit number-one on The New York Times’ best sellers list.
The Bench started as a poem for Markle’s spouse, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. According to the couple’s Archewell website, it “expanded into a children’s book with imagery that captures moments of love and shared experiences between a diverse group of fathers and sons.” Accompanying Markle’s words “are watercolor illustrations by Christian Robinson that bring the gentleness and joy to life.”
In a post titled, Thanks to You, “The Bench” is a #1 “New York Times” Bestseller, Markle wrote, “While this poem began as a love letter to my husband and son, I’m encouraged to see that its universal themes of love, representation and inclusivity are resonating with communities everywhere. In many ways, pursuing a more compassionate and equitable world begins with these core values.”
“Equally, to depict another side of masculinity — one grounded in connection, emotion, and softness — is to model a world that so many would like to see for their sons and daughters alike,” she continued. “Thank you for supporting me in this special project.”
The Bench was released four days after the birth of the couple’s daughter, Lilibet Diana. The book also features an illustration of the Sussexes’ newborn daughter.
Markle’s NPR interview comes three months after her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March during which she confessed that she suffered from severe depression and contemplated suicide while pregnant with her son Archie.
The former actress revealed to Oprah that she, “just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” while dealing with her isolation and unsupportive treatment inside the royal family. The story only got more upsetting when Markle revealed that she asked for help and was essentially turned away, saying, “I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. I said, ‘I’ve never felt this way before,’ and that I needed to go somewhere, and I was told that I couldn’t. That it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
While pregnant with Archie, senior members of the royal family aired concerns about his skin tone. Markle told Oprah that, “there were “concerns and conversations bout how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born.” Oprah, speaking for all of us at home, immediately told the Duchess of Sussex, “What?! Hold up!”
While both Markle and Prince Harry did not reveal exactly who had those “several” conversations, Oprah confirmed on CBS This Morning that the “concerns” did not come from Harry’s grandparents.
theGRIO’s Biba Adams and Jared Alexander contributed to this report.
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