Meghan Markle "snubbed" Penny Mordaunt's gift and plea for support, the Leader of the House of Commons has claimed.
Mordaunt, 51, revealed that she sent a necklace to the Duchess of Sussex that was made by human trafficking survivors.
However, the Lord President of the Council confirmed she received no reply from the mother-of-two.
At the time, Mordaunt was working with the charity Eden, which teaches jewellery-making skills to survivors of human trafficking in Myanmar, southeast Asia.
Meghan Markle was sent a gift from Penny Mordaunt
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Southeast Asia is home to more than half the global total of human trafficking survivors.
The 51-year-old said she sent a handcrafted necklace to Meghan, 42, as a gesture of support when she was new to the Royal Family, but did not receive a response.
The Conservative MP suggested other MPs also tried reaching out to the duchess without success.
Mordaunt said: "She had a lot of support from parliamentarians, a lot of people wrote to her and wanted to support her."
Penny Mordaunt attending King Charles's Coronation
PAThe MP claimed she tried to connect with the former Suits actress by gifting her a necklace.
Mordaunt added: "I wanted to demonstrate to her the opportunity she had and what she could potentially do."
When asked if she received a response, she told The Times: "No I didn't, but it was worth a try."
Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, tied the knot on May 19, 2018, in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Meghan Markle was sent a necklace from the Leader of the House of Commons
ReutersAfter an 18-month stint of royal duties, the duchess stepped down from royal duties alongside her husband in 2020.
The couple settled in Montecito, California in the summer of that year, where they are raising Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
Meghan and Harry continue to perform charity work through their non-profit organisation, the Archewell Foundation.
On March 8, the 42-year-old will travel to Austin, Texas to sit on a star-studded panel on International Women's Day.
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Meghan did not respond to Mordaunt, she claims
ReutersThe duchess usually marks International Women's Day yearly with a public message or outing.
For example, in 2019, while pregnant with her son Prince Archie, Meghan participated in a panel discussion for International Women's Day.
During the event, she said: "We must be global feminists and include men and boys."
This upcoming trip comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently travelled to Canada in February to promote the 2025 Invictus Games.
