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

“Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s kindness happens behind closed doors,” a former Archewell boss claimed, speaking of the “amazing” weekly lunches the duchess hosted at her Montecito home.

Mandana Dayani, 42, who was born in Iran but raised in the United States, served as Archewell’s president for 18 months until December 2022.

The businessman is just one of several former Archewell employees who have publicly supported the couple after Meghan was branded a “difficult duchess.”

Talking with US weekly magazineMandana, who made several appearances in the couple’s Netflix documentary series, explained how the “kindness, mentorship and support” she has received from the Duke and Duchess “happens quietly behind closed doors.”

Reflecting on some of her happiest moments in office, the mother-of-two said: “Some of my favourite memories were during our weekly gatherings at her home in Montecito, where Meghan always served the most amazing lunches and snacks and her latest beautiful concoction.”

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

Meghan called Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who said they were surprised the duchess called out of the blue and noted she even used her royal title to lobby for the cause of paid parental leave.

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

The activist said Meghan spent hours with the victims’ families, walking through the room “one by one” where she “hugged them and cried with them.”

Elsewhere in the article, Mandana detailed how she and Meghan prepared to attend a gala before leaving Archewell.

The activist said: “I walked into her room to find Meghan finishing her makeup and steaming her overalls. We all toasted with a sip of champagne as Meghan danced to her favourite oldies playlist.”

While Mandana did not specify what the event was, Meghan wore a white jumpsuit to attend the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award Gala in New York in December 2022, the same month Mandana stepped down from her role.

During her 18 months at Archewell, Mandana said she was “amazed” by Prince Harry’s humility.

Detailing how her paternal grandmother was a Kurdish mother of seven who never learned to read while Harry was the late Queen, Mandana said she was never made to feel “less than” at Archewell.

What’s more, the former Archewell president says she is still in touch with her former employers and recently spoke to the duchess to plan a lunch.

She added: “They are kind, decent and caring people, and I am very proud to call them my friends.”

Mandana appeared several times in the Netflix series Duke and Duchess and was sometimes credited as a “friend.”

Mandana’s comments come as staff loyal to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last night gave a glowing report on the couple as a war of words continued over Meghan being labelled a “dictator in high heels”.

Current and former staff made an extraordinary intervention in friendly US media, describing the Sussexes as “attentive” bosses who give staff their children’s old baby clothes, fresh flowers and “care packages”.

Stung by recent allegations, particularly in industry heavyweight the Hollywood Reporter, that “The Difficult Duchess” has made grown men cry while “barking” orders, a number of employees offered a remarkably upbeat account of their working lives to US Weekly magazine in the United States.

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

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

Ben Browning, Archewell’s former head of content (who was responsible for its revealing Netflix documentary but then left before his contract was up) says his experience at the company and with Meghan and Harry in general “was positive and supportive.”

Her current PR chief, “global press secretary” Ashley Hansen, says she was treated with “the kind of concern and care that a parent would express if it were their own child” when she took time off for surgery, adding that she was also sent flowers and gifts.

“Meghan personally checked in with my husband every day to make sure we were both okay and had support. It meant a lot to him and even more to me. You don’t realize how much that kind of kindness and thoughtfulness means until you need it,” she insisted.

Another anonymous source insists the duke and duchess are “watering the seeds” to make them blossom. Harry, they say, asks on work Zoom calls about what staff have done over the weekend and says as a team they plan events such as karaoke nights and “Christmas parties.”

A former staff member said the couple heard they had adopted a dog: “The next day I had a luxury brand leash and a brand new collar on my doorstep.”

The parents-to-be also receive “brand new gifts and top-quality secondhand items from the couple themselves,” such as unused car seats and baby items they no longer need, it said.

“They want to take care of us,” gushed one current employee. “Meghan does things like, ‘You mentioned on the call that your skin is bothering you, I put together a kit for you.'”

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

“They are the best bosses I’ve ever had,” insists another current member of the team.

It’s a stark contrast to recent reports of a series of departures from his Archewell organization, which combines its media deals with philanthropic efforts.

The latest revelation claiming the Duchess of Sussex is a “dictator in high heels” comes from someone “very senior” who still works for the couple, it has been claimed.

The original Hollywood Reporter article also said that Meghan “doesn’t take advice” and has made “grown men” cry while “barking” orders.

Maer Roshan, co-editor-in-chief of the publication, later said she stands by the story, despite the backlash among Sussex supporters.

Mr Roshan says they not only spoke to around a dozen people who had worked closely with Harry and Meghan “now and previously”, but told Access Hollywood that “our reporter spoke to a very high-level source who works for the couple who said everyone is terrified of Meghan”.

The former royal is said to be “disdaining” people and “not taking advice”.

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

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

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

“What’s new is that since I came to the United States there’s this idea that a lot of these rumors were fabricated by the Palace and the reporting we’ve done suggests they’re probably not true and there’s still this underlying current of fear.”

Buckingham Palace launched its own investigation after the harassment allegations became public, but has declined to reveal the results of its findings.