Updated May 6th, 2023 at 11:41 IST

King Charles Coronation: Why Camilla will not wear Kohinoor in the historic ceremony?

Of all the glittering British crown jewels, one would be missing at King Charles III's coronation is the Kohinoor diamond, as per The Royal Archives.

Reported by: Saumya Joshi
Image: Shutterstock | Image:self
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Of all the glittering British crown jewels, one would be missing at King Charles III's coronation is the Kohinoor diamond, as per The Royal Archives. The Diamond, whose name means "mountain of light" in Persian, has a 105-carat. It was found on the bank of the holy Krishna River in southern India at least 800 years ago. The Queen Consort Camilla would wear Queen Mary's crown at King Charles's coronation, without the controversial Kohinoor diamond over concerns it would serve as an unwelcome reminder of the British Empire, reported Sky News. The crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London for the changes and modification work, ahead of the ceremony in May. 

No sign of Kohinoor at the Coronation ceremony, but why?

As per the UK tradition, King Charles III's wife Camilla would be the next who would wear the Royal jewel at the s coronation ceremony. However, she would be wearing a  different crown, one with 2,200 smaller diamonds. In the UK's history, this would be the first time in almost three centuries that an existing crown will be used for the coronation of a consort instead of a new commission being made, reported Royal Archives. According to the Daily Mail, it is believed that the change in Camilla's crown has been made in the interests of sustainability and efficiency. Originally, the crown has been commissioned for the coronation of Mary of Teck as Queen Consort at the coronation of King George V, the present monarch's great-grandfather, in 1911, reported Sky News. These changes would be made by the Crown Jeweller, in keeping with the tradition that jewels are inserted uniquely, especially for the occasion, and to reflect the wearer's individual style. According to the UK Media outlet, Camilla would pay tribute to the late Queen by replacing the Koh-i-Noor gem with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, which were often worn as brooches by the previous monarch.
 

Why is the Kohinoor diamond so controversial? 

  • The Kohinoor was seized by the East India Company in Punjab, northern India, following its victory in the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849. 
  • It was given to Queen Victoria and has been part of the Crown Jewels ever since, and is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing 105.6 carats (21.12 g).
  • Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly raised concerns that the famous diamond would provide an unwelcome reminder of the British Empire.
  • The diamond is now on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. 
  • The governments of India, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and even the Taliban insurgency have all claimed ownership of the gem and have demanded its return ever since India gained independence from the British Empire in 1947.
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Published May 6th, 2023 at 11:41 IST