New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that if he has a chance to speak with King Charles during a 9/11 memorial event in New York City on Wednesday, he will ask the British monarch to return a controversial 105.6-carat diamond to India.
Mamdani was taking questions from reporters when he was asked what he’d say if King Charles happened to stop and chat at the event, a wreath laying at Ground Zero to honor those killed on 9/11 ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
“You know, if I was to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond,” Mamdani said, after first saying that he was focused primarily on the evening’s memorial event.
The diamond, which is now set in the crown of the Queen Mother that was worn by Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI and mother to Queen Elizabeth II, has a controversial history.
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The Koh-i-Noor, which means “Mountain of Light,” was likely discovered in South India in the 13th century and is believed to have changed hands countless times over the following centuries.
In 1849, the gem wound up in Britain’s possession following its annexation of the Punjab and forcing its 10-year-old king to sign the Treaty of Lahore, requiring him to hand sovereignty — and the diamond — over to the British, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
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The diamond became part of Britain’s Crown Jewels and was worn by several queens before it was set in the front of the crown of the Queen Mother worn by Queen Elizabeth, in which the gem has remained as it sits on display in the Tower of London.
India is one of several countries that have pushed for Britain to return the gem. Other countries laying claim to the famous diamond include Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
So far, neither Britain nor the royal family has given any indication that the diamond would be returned.