Prince Harry & Meghan Markle To Take “Full Lead” Of Archewell As Mandana Dayani Exits

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to assume full leadership of their Archewell Foundation, as the organization's president, Mandana Dayani , is stepping down after 18 months.

Dayani was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the media and charitable group and has exited in what has been described as an amicable and planned transition. She will not be replaced as Archewell's founders Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had long intended to assume full management of the enterprise.

Per a statement shared with Deadline, an Archewell spokesperson said Dayani was brought on while the couple was off for parental leave and that "she has continued to shape (Archewell's) vision and future successfully." (See the full statement below.)

Dayani is an entrepreneur and attorney who previously worked with fashion guru Rachel Zoe and co-founded non-partisan outfit I Am A Voter. She also launched podcast, The Dissenters , with Debra Messing in 2020.

While news of her departure from Archewell comes a few days after the release of the trailer for six-part Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan , which Archewell produced, Deadline understands the decision was made months ago.

Here's the statement from Archewell: "Ms. Dayani has been an integral part of Archewell and we are grateful for her passion, commitment and leadership. Ms. Dayani was brought on during their parental leave to move the company and its projects forward. She has continued to shape its vision and future successfully. Her transition was mutually planned, with intent for The Duke and Duchess to now take full lead of their company. 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."

Archewell, whose mission is to "unleash the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change," encompasses the charitable foundation, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions.