MEGHAN Markle has boasted she has topped the New York Times Best Seller list with her new children’s picture book – as it falls out of the Amazon top 100 in the UK.
The Bench has dropped more than 95 places in little over a week, with the retail giant slashing the price by almost 40 per cent.
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It now costs £8 on the UK site – a 38 per cent reduction from the £12.99 cover price.
Readers wishing to download it to a Kindle must pay £8.99.
The book reached number five in the Amazon kid’s book chart on the day of release, but was this week beaten to the top by a volume from campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford.
However, it did top the New York Times Bestsellers list for kid’s picture books, with the duchess thanking readers for supporting her “special project”.
Meghan’s tome has received 286 reviews globally on Amazon – with an average of 4.7 out of 5.
However, the latest reviewer said: “Truly abysmal. Bad grammar, plodding laboured writing with meaning and style sacrificed for rhyme.”
And another person said: “Awful story book, no real story to it, doesn’t flow, illustrations are poor. Not really got much going for it.”
But a buyer added: “Beautiful story, beautifully written. My son and his dad’s favourite.
“Duchess Meghan is such a good writer. The illustrations are amazing.”
The Bench was inspired by a poem the Duchess of Sussex wrote about Prince Harry’s first Father’s Day.
The 40-page book is illustrated with pictures of a family including one of Meghan cradling a newborn baby in a possible nod to their newborn daughter Lili.
Despite roaring success in the US, it shifted just 3,212 copies in its first week of publication in Britain.
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford scooped the top spot with his book You are a Champion which sold 10,564 copies in a week as football fans are gripped by Euro 2020.
However, it did top the chart for the bestselling picture book.
The duchess released a message of thanks following its American success.
She said on her Archewell website: “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.
“Thank you for supporting me in this special project.”
Despite the slow sales, the work is expected to be hugely profitable for the book’s publishers Penguin Random House Children’s (PRH) as they have rights that allow them to sell the English language version globally.
They could also sell translation rights to other publishers which means The Bench could become a huge global success if it is printed in other languages.
The Bench was released on June 8 in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.
It is illustrated by award winning artist Christian Robinson, and the audiobook is narrated by the Duchess of Sussex herself.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s photo book about the UK in lockdown called Hold Still – published in May – is now £19.74, down from £24.95 on Amazon.
