‘Harry and Meghan’s kindness takes place behind closed doors,’ claims former Archewell boss

According to a former Archewell exec, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “friendliness happens behind closed doors,” as she opened up about the “incredible” weekly lunches the duchess hosts at their Montecito home.

Mandana Dayani, 42, born in Iran but raised in the US, served as president of Archewell for 18 months, until December 2022.

The entrepreneur is just one of many former Archewell employees who publicly supported the couple after Meghan was branded “Duchess Difficult.”

Speaking with US weeklyMandana, who has appeared several times in the couple’s Netflix documentary series, explained how the “kindness, guidance and support” she has received from the Duke and Duchess “has happened quietly behind closed doors.”

Looking back on some of her happiest moments in the role, the mother of two said: ‘Some of my favourite memories were during our weekly get-togethers at their home in Montecito, where Meghan would always serve the most incredible lunches, snacks and her latest beautiful creation.’

Pictured: Meghan Markle with former Archewell president Mandana Dayani in October 2022 — two months before she stepped down from her role

Mandana also said she will “never forget” seeing the Duchess of Sussex sitting on the kitchen floor and cold-calling senators while she fed Lilibet, who was just five months old at the time.

Meghan called Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Both said they were shocked that the duchess had called out of the blue and noted that she had even used her royal title to lobby for paid parental leave.

The former Archewell president also said she traveled with Meghan to Uvalde, Texas, after 19 children and two teachers were killed in a school shooting.

The activist said Meghan spent hours with the victims’ families, walking around the room “one by one,” “hugging and crying with them.”

Elsewhere in the article, Mandana describes how she prepared for a gala with Meghan before leaving Archewell.

The activist said, “I walked into their room [and found] Meghan finishes her own makeup and steams her jumpsuit. We all toasted with a sip of champagne as Meghan danced to her favorite oldies playlist.’

While Mandana did not specify what the event entailed, Meghan wore a white jumpsuit when she attended the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award Gala in New York in December 2022. That same month, Mandana resigned.

During her 18 months at Archewell, Mandana said she was “in awe” of Prince Harry’s humility.

Pictured: Former Archewell president Mandana Dayani in August 2024. The activist has said she is ‘proud to call Harry and Meghan her friends’

Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the ESPY Awards in Hollywood in July 2024

Mandana said her paternal grandmother was a Kurdish mother of seven who never learned to read, while Harry’s grandmother was the late Queen. She said she never felt “inferior” at Archewell.

Additionally, the former Archewell president says she still keeps in touch with her former employers and recently met with the Duchess to arrange a lunch date.

She added: “These are kind, decent, caring people who I am proud to call my friends.”

Mandana made multiple appearances in the Duke and Duchess’ Netflix series, sometimes being listed as a “friend.”

Mandana’s comments come after staff loyal to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last night sent the couple a glowing report, amid ongoing controversy over Meghan being a “dictator in high heels”.

Current and former staff members staged a remarkable intervention in the friendly US media, describing the Sussexes as “caring” bosses who give their staff their children’s old baby clothes, fresh flowers and “care packages”.

Pictured: Josh Kettler, Prince Harry’s chief of staff, who left in August 2024 after just three months

Stung by recent allegations, most notably by the Hollywood Reporter, that ‘Duchess Difficult’ has reduced grown men to tears while ‘barking’ orders, a number of employees gave a remarkably rosy picture of their working lives to US Weekly.

Josh Kettler, Harry’s chief of staff, who left in August after just three months, sparking the latest wave of negative publicity, insists he was “warmly welcomed” by both Harry and Meghan, describing them as “dedicated and hardworking”.

“It was impressive to see,” he said, but he did not elaborate on why his tenure was so short.

Ben Browning, Archewell’s former content director who was responsible for their revealing Netflix documentary but left before his contract expired, says his experiences at the company and with Meghan and Harry in general have been “positive and supportive.”

Her current PR chief, “global press officer” Ashley Hansen, says they treated her with “the kind of care and concern a parent would show for their own child” when she took time off for surgery, and sent her flowers and gifts.

“Meghan personally reached out to my husband every day to make sure we were okay and that we had support. It meant so much to him and even more to me. You don’t realize how much that kindness and attention means until you need it,” she continued.

Meghan attends a reception at Government House in Melbourne, Australia on October 18, 2018

Another anonymous source insists the Duke and Duchess are “watering the seeds” so they can flourish. Harry, they say, asks during Zoom calls at work what staff have been up to over the weekend and says that as a team they are planning events such as karaoke nights and “holiday parties.”

A former staff member said the couple learned they had adopted a dog. “The next day, there was a fancy brand leash and a new collar on the doorstep.”

The expectant parents will also receive ‘brand new gifts and second-hand items from the bride and groom themselves’, it was said. ‘Such as unused car seats and baby items that they no longer need.’

“They want to take care of us,” cheered one current employee. “Meghan does things like, ‘You said in the interview that your skin is bothering you, I put together a kit for you.’

And it was said that no one leaves the couple’s Montecito home empty-handed. “When staff goes to their home, they always leave with a basket of fresh flowers, fresh fruit, fresh eggs,” one staff member said.

Maer Roshan (pictured), co-editor of the publication, has said he stands by the story despite the backlash from supporters of the Sussexes.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pictured during their quasi-royal tour of Colombia in August 2024

“The best bosses I’ve ever had,” claims another current team member.

It stands in stark contrast to recent reports of a series of departures from their organization Archewell, which combines their media deals with philanthropic activities.

The latest report that the Duchess of Sussex is a “dictator in high heels” has reportedly come from someone “in a high position” who still works for the couple.

The original Hollywood Reporter article also stated that Meghan “won’t take advice” and has “reduced grown men to tears” while “barking” orders.

Prince Harry and Meghan attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala in New York City

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, watches the awards ceremony at the 2024 Royal Salute Polo Challenge on April 12

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – who stepped back as working royals in 2020 – pictured during their visit to Colombia on August 15

Maer Roshan, the publication’s co-editor-in-chief, later said he still stands by the story, despite the negative reaction from the Sussexes’ supporters.

Mr Roshan says that in addition to speaking to a dozen people who have worked closely with Harry and Meghan “currently and in the past”, he also told Access Hollywood that “our reporter spoke to a very senior source who works for the couple and who said everyone is terrified of Meghan”.

They say the former royal family “belittles people” and “doesn’t take advice”.

The sudden outpouring of praise will do little to dampen speculation about the couple’s behavior.

The Duchess herself has always strongly denied any bullying of her staff, particularly in the UK, claiming that the staff are part of a “calculated smear campaign” against her.

Mr Roshan added: ‘Duchess Difficult is a nickname that has followed Meghan for a number of years.

“The new thing is that since coming to America, there has been a perception that many of these rumors are fabricated by the palace. The reporting that we have done suggests that this is probably not true. There is still an underlying fear.”

Buckingham Palace launched its own investigation after the bullying allegations were made public, but refused to release the results of its findings.