Let's face it, when it comes to a real-life fairy tale, Meghan Markle's story is hard to beat. Her transformation from American-born actress and activist to globe-trotting duchess—who married into the British royal family by capturing the heart of a lovelorn prince, at that—is something straight out of a Disney movie.
With the do-gooding duchess determined to become a champion of young girls around the world, Meghan (excuse us, the Duchess of Sussex) might want to revisit a sweet—and clever—idea she thought of on the spot when being interviewed on the set of Suits way back in 2015. When asked by an interviewer on the set of the series, "If your life was a children's book, what would the title be?" Meghan broke into a big smile and immediately answered, "The Glorious Adventures of Freckle-Faced Meg."
Can't you just picture it? A spunky, biracial girl in Los Angeles dreams of changing the world, sets off for Hollywood, and somehow finds herself married to Prince Harry, traveling with Queen Elizabeth, and about to give birth to the soon-to-be most famous baby in the world.
"Meghan definitely sees herself as the heroine of her own story," a royal insider told me. "It's easy to see how she could turn that into an inspiring tale for young girls."
Children's books hold a special place in Meghan's heart. Long before she'd even met Harry, Meghan already had a favorite book in mind to share with her future children. In the same interview, she said she couldn't wait to read The Giving Tree. The classic tome, written by Shel Silverstein over fifty years ago, is a parable about giving and accepting love as experienced by a young boy and an apple tree.
Meghan already has one book under her royal belt: Together: Our Community Cookbook, written in conjunction with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen after they lost their homes following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. The duchess penned the foreword for the best-seller, which sold 71,000 copies in just a few months.
Even her rescue dog, Guy, has been the subject of his own children's book, His Royal Dogness, Guy the Beagle: The Rebarkable True Story of Meghan Markle's Rescue Dog, written by Michael Brumm and Camille March, with charming illustrations by EG Keller.
There is precedent for royals to write children's books. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, penned several kid-friendly titles, including Tea for Ruby and Ballerina Rosie. But she was divorced from Prince Andrew when the books were published and was frequently quoted about having to work to support herself when she was no longer a member of the royal family.
"Meghan has managed to bend and outright change many of the rules of royal protocol," said the insider. "I'm sure if she got it into her mind that she wanted to write a children's book, she'd find a way to do it."
When Meghan and Harry's bundle of joy arrives (any day now!) and the duchess turns her laser-like focus on raising the newest member of the royal family, she'll no doubt be looking for the best books to read to Baby Sussex. She couldn't find a more fantastical tale than her own story. And for more on what will happen after the baby arrives, here are the 8 Things Meghan Markle Will Definitely Do on Her Maternity Leave.
Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana: The Secrets of Her Style.
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