New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has suggested he would urge King Charles III to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond to India if given a private audience. The mayor made the remarks ahead of a ceremony on Wednesday where the King and Queen attended a commemoration for the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the National 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan.
The Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, was mined in India and dates back to at least the 17th century. It was acquired by the British East India Company in 1849, when the 10-year-old son of the Indian royal family was forced to give it up under colonial rule. The diamond is now part of the British Crown Jewels, displayed in the Tower of London, and is considered priceless.
The Indian government has repeatedly demanded the diamond's return since independence in 1947, with the most recent request made in 2016. Mr Mamdani told reporters: “If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I’d probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-noor diamond.” However, when asked twice about his message for the royal couple, he initially focused on honouring the 9/11 victims, mentioning other officials but not the royals.
A spokesperson for the royal family declined to respond to Mr Mamdani's remarks, according to Politico. Buckingham Palace has been asked for comment by The Independent. Separately, the Palace responded to claims by President Donald Trump that the King agreed with him on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, stating: “The King is naturally mindful of his government's long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”
