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       Meghan Markle sent Jill Biden an "intriguing gift to thank her for what was seen as a supportive gesture" following her and Prince Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, it has been claimed.

       The couple stepped down as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020 when they relocated from the UK and then eventually to the US. They currently live in Montecito, California.

       Now it has been reported the couple "tried a variety of methods" to connect with President Joe Biden and the First Lady as a way of building up their status and stance in America.

       Such methods included the couple asking to board Air Force One to fly back to the US from Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in London last September and wanting Jill Biden to attend the Invictus Games, the Daily Mail has reported.

       The initiatives are understood to have been part of a push from the Sussexes to gain political influence in the US as they adapted to life in California, according to the report.

       READ MORE: Harry and Meghan denied return flight on Air Force One after Queen’s funeral

       Meghan Markle sent Jill Biden an 'intriguing gift', it has been claimed (Image: GETTY)

       It has also been claimed Jill Biden "received an intriguing gift to thank her for what was seen as a supportive gesture towards Meghan following her controversial TV interview".

       Harry and Meghan sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, which saw them speak about their departure from the Royal Family and their reasons behind it for the first time.

       The day after the Sussexes' interview with Oprah, the First Lady was pictured wearing an Oscar de la Renta dress - similar to a dress of the same brand that Meghan had worn a month earlier.

       Speculation began swirling on social media that Biden's lemon-hued attire was a subtle show of solidarity towards the couple, with Meghan reported to have sent the First Lady a basket of lemons as a "thank you" gift.

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       Harry and Meghan during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 (Image: JOE PUGLIESE/HARPO PRODUCTIONS/AFP via Getty Images)

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       It has also been claimed Meghan and Harry asked to fly on Air Force One with Joe and Jill Biden after the Queen's funeral but were turned down.

       The Sussexes were in the UK performing charity work when Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. The couple remained in the country until her funeral 11 days later.

       Amid the ceremonies marking the passing of Britain's longest reigning monarch, the Sussexes staff reached out to the White House to see if they could hitch a ride back to the States with the President and First Lady who were also attending the funeral.

       But one source told the Daily Mail: "It would have caused such a commotion. It would have strained relations with the Palace and the new King."

       Harry and Meghan pay their respects after the procession for the Lying-in State of the Queen (Image: GETTY)

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       Another example of Harry and Meghan trying to reach out more to the Bidens was the Invictus Games, held in The Hague in the Netherlands in April 2022, according to the report.

       Both Joe and Jill Biden had attended the games when they were held in Canada in 2018, while the First Lady attended the games a year earlier in Florida.

       Jill Biden was the mother of a veteran and was a huge supporter of the military and their families through her Joining Forces Initiative.

       She also shared her love for the Armed Forces with Harry, who served in Afghanistan.

       Prince Harry speaks with Joe and Jill Biden at the Invictus Games in 2017 (Image: GETTY)

       The First Lady reportedly wanted to attend last year's games but a person familiar with the event told the Daily Mail: "She wanted to go," but noted the East Wing was concerned it would upset the rest of the Royal Family.

       The US delegation to the Invictus Games was instead led by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten.

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