Prince Harry, Meghan Markle take ‘full lead’ of Archewell after president quits
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are diving headfirst into their Archewell organization after its president, Mandana Dayani, stepped down in a “mutually planned” decision.
“Ms. Dayani has been an integral part of Archewell, and we are grateful for her passion, commitment and leadership,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement Saturday.
The couple, who share 3-year-old son Archie and 1-year-old daughter Lilibet, explained that they brought on Dayani during their parental leave to “move the company and its projects forward,” and she “continued to shape its vision and future successfully” prior to her departure.
“Her transition was mutually planned, with intent for the duke and duchess to now take full lead of their company,” the statement concluded. “There will be no replacement for this position, and Ms. Dayani is fully supportive of the duke and duchess in their new leadership roles, and they remain friends.”
Dayani — who is best known for co-founding the organization I Am a Voter, which encourages people to pursue their civic duties — has yet to publicly address the leadership change herself.
Reps for Archewell didn’t immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.
Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, launched the company — which presents the “Suits” alum’s Spotify podcast, “Archetypes,” among other projects — shortly after stepping down from their positions as senior members of the British royal family in early 2020.
“Archewell Foundation is an impact-driven non-profit created by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” its website reads. “Our core purpose is to uplift and unite communities — local and global, online and offline — one act of compassion at a time.”
The couple’s heightened role at Archewell comes just ahead of the release of their Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” and the prince’s memoir, “Spare.”
Netflix has released two trailers for the highly anticipated show, which details why the pair chose to leave the royal family — as well as Harry’s fears that “history would repeat itself” with Markle after the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
The first three episodes premiere on Dec. 8, followed by the remaining three on Dec. 15. “Spare,” meanwhile, hits bookstores on Jan. 10, 2023.
