“Just all of those little Easter eggs or nuggets that are tucked within the book—I mean, there’s a lot,” she said. “If people start digging, I think you can find sweet little moments that we’ve tucked in there.” No wonder it’s become a bestseller—and, according to Markle, a book that son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor can’t get enough of. She told NPR, “The fact that he loves The Bench and we can say, ‘Mommy wrote this for you,’ feels amazing," We already knew that Meghan’s debut book features lots of nods to son Archie, husband PrinceHarry, newborn daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor and the couple’s rescue animals. Below, check out our ultimate roundup of all of The Bench’s best Easter eggs to keep an eye out for:
1. Princess Diana’s favorite flowers
Perhaps the biggest Easter egg Markle dropped in her NPR Q&A? The Bench’s illustrations include a hidden nod to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Look closely at the flowers depicted in the books and you’ll find forget-me-nots, Di’s favorite flower.
2. Meghan Markle’s favorite flowers
The Duchess says her favorite flowers are also illustrated in the book—and while she doesn’t specify in the NPR interview what her favorite flower is, they’re believed to be peonies.
3. Where the bench came from
We already knew that Meghan’s children’s book started as a poem that she wrote for Prince Harry on his first Father’s Day in 2019. Illustrator Christian Robinson told TODAY, “The origin is in a specific bench that Meghan watched Harry and Archie bond on.” Now, Markle has further revealed to NPR that she actually bought Harry a bench as a gift for her first Fathers Day as a bad, which occurred just weeks after son Archie was born. “As most of us do, you go, what am I going to get them as a gift? And I thought I just wanted something sentimental and a place for him to have as a bit of a home base with our son," Markle explained. However, it’s also true that Markle gave Harry a poem for his first Father’s Day; in fact, she had a plaque placed on the back of the bench with her poem written on it: “This is your bench / Where life will begin / For you and our son / Our baby, our kin.” That poem then served as the primary source material for The Bench. In a previous statement, the Duchess had said, “The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born.” She added, “That poem became this story. Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor 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. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”
4. Baby Lilibet Diana’s cameo
While The Bench was completed prior toLilibet Diana’s birth on June 4, Meghan seemingly included her daughter in the book. One illustration shows a brunette woman, presumably the Duchess, standing in a garden carrying an infant in a baby wrap.
5. The Sussexes’ dogs
The royal family’s furry relatives weren’t left out! Meghan made sure to include her beagle Guy and black labrador Pula. The Sussexes’ dogs can be seen in a drawing of Harry holding his baby boy as well as in the illustration of Meghan in the garden.
6. …And the chickens!
In addition to the royal couple’s dogs, the chickens that they rescued from a factory farm made it onto the pages of The Bench. The pair showed Oprah Winfrey their chicken coop and hens during their bombshell 2021 interview. “She’s always wanted chickens,” Harry told Winfrey. The Duchess added, “But, you know, I just love rescuing.” Meghan referenced her animals in her author bio, which reads: “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, is a mother, wife, feminist, and activist. Through the nonprofit work of the Archewell Foundation, she and her husband are committed to activating compassion in communities across the world. She currently resides in her home state of California with her family, two dogs, and a growing flock of rescue chickens.”
7. Illustrated appearances by Prince Harry and Archie
Given that the book was inspired by Prince Harry and Archie, it’s no surprise that Meghan’s book features watercolor illustrations of her husband and son. The Duke of Sussex and Archie were depicted walking hand in hand in one illustration and feeding chickens in another.
8. The military family that appears in the book
Markle noted that her decision to write a book that features families of all stripes—including military stripes—was inspired in part by a member of the Armed Forces she met years ago on a USO tour. “He had told me the story about how he wasn’t able to teach his son how to play catch because he was away,” Markle recalled. “And so he and his son would mail this baseball back and forth to each other from Texas to Afghanistan and write the date on it.” She added, “That page is true to form for him and his family. There are lots of little small moments like that that were personal memories or anecdotes that I wanted infused in there.”
9. The touching dedication
The Duchess sweetly dedicated her debut children’s book to her husband and firstborn. “For the man and the boy who make my heart go pump-pump,” the mom of two, who is known for her impressive calligraphy, penned.
10. The hidden detail under the book jacket
Beneath The Bench’s book jacket is the cover of the actual book that resembles a tree bark with Harry and Archie’s initials carved into it. Next,the biggest revelations from Prince Harry’s Apple TV+ series!
