Meghan Markle has had an extremely busy year. She married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex just 15 months ago but has already brought out a cookbook for the Hub Kitchen, tried her hand at guest editing the most important issue of British Vogue, is bringing out a capsule collection to benefit her patronage Smart Works and now might be turning her hand to writing a children’s book. According to The Sun, the book is likely to be about her love of animals, including her rescue dogs – the beagle Guy, and the new puppy she has taken in with Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex is the patron of Mayhew, an animal welfare charity in North West London and wrote the forward for their 2018 Annual Review. It wouldn’t be surprising if this is where the proceeds from the book were to go to supporting Mayhew.
If Meghan is writing a children’s book, she wouldn’t be the first Royal to enter the world of book publishing. While we wait to see what the Duchess dreams up, here’s a breakdown of the other royals who have penned books.
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria was known to be an avid writer who kept an incredible 120 volumes of journals throughout her life and long reign. She even wrote a novel when she was just 10 years old (10 ¾ to be exact!) called The Adventures of Alice Lesalles which was published in 2015, over 185 years after she first wrote it in her exercise book.
Prince Charles
It’s definitely not a competition, but if it was Prince Charles would probably be the clear winner. The heir to the throne is prolific and has written and co-written books on everything from food to architecture to climate change. One of his most well-known books (perhaps most infamous?) is The Old Man of Lochnagar, a children’s book based on the stories he used to tell his younger brothers Andrew and Edward, which he published in 1980.
Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco
Charlotte Casiraghi, philosophy graduate and granddaughter of Princess Grace (formerly Kelly) of Monaco co-wrote Archipel des Passions, (which translates as Archipelago of Passions) a philosophy book on topics such as love, cruelty, adoration, and sweetness with her former professor Robert Maggori.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark
In 2016, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II published The Deepest Roots, a history of her country co-written with author and journalist Thomas Larson. This was not the first time Queen Margrethe has entered the world of publishing. She famously illustrated a Danish edition of Lord of the Rings in the 1970s.
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael has also been pretty prolific with seven books to her name including the Anjou Trilogy – a series of historical novels set in 15th century France.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden
“To stand up for yourself or for someone else isn’t always easy. How do you find the courage to speak up if something doesn’t feel right? That’s the question Stella and the Secret, Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s first children’s book which was published this year, encourages the kids and adults reading it to ask. Inspired by her work with the World Childhood Foundation, Princess Madeleine wanted to write a book that would delve into difficult areas of discussion such as child abuse.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway
Princess Martha wrote an illustrated children’s book called Why Kings and Queens Don’t Wear Crowns which was originally published in Norway in 2004. It tells the story of when her grandfather King Olav V first came to Norway from Denmark and how difficult it is to wear a crown while you’re cross-country skiing. Near impossible we’d imagine!
Queen Rania of Jordan
Royals seem to love writing children’s books and Queen Rania is no exception. She has published four children’s books: Eternal Beauty, The King’s Gift, Maha of the Mountains and The Sandwich Shop, which became a New York Times Bestseller and is based on her childhood.
The Duchess of York
Who could forget Fergie? The Duchess of York has written a very successful series of children’s books about Budgie the Helicopter. The series did so well it was even turned into an animated tv series.