Beyoncé Pens Foreword to New Prince Book

Beyoncé is lending her pen to Prince: A Private View, a new book of photographs by the late icon’s longtime friend Afshin Shahidi.

“Truth be told, the word ‘icon’ only scratches the surface of what Prince was and what he remains to me,” Queen Bey writes in the forthcoming book’s foreword, according to EW.

Shahidi photographed Prince for a decade and was his friend of 20 years. Now, he is releasing a book filled with photographs and captions that illustrate the dynamics of their bond.

So far, only the cover and two photos from the book have been released. The cover is styled in black and white, with Prince wearing black and white.

“I feel so thankful and blessed that @beyonce agreed to lend her voice to this book honoring Prince!” wrote Shahidi.

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Shahidi’s connection to Beyoncé goes further than this book. His daughter, “Black-ish” star Yara, has appeared in Queen Bey’s LEMONADE film and modeled for her Ivy Park clothing line.

The photographer has spoken openly about his bond with Prince. In particular, he mourned his passing the day after his tragic death. “Prince was many things to many people,” he wrote. “For me, he was a mentor, a business partner, a travel companion, a creative force, and a friend. For close to 8 years I spent almost more time with him than my family. He was a huge fan of Yara’s, when her first film came out, Prince rented out the theatre three nights in a row and invited whoever he could to come see it with him. Just a few months back he sent her a message that he loves #Blackish and her character on it.”

Prince: A Private View is due Oct. 17.