In a stark contrast to his warm reception in Washington DC, King Charles III faced a notably uneven welcome in New York City on Wednesday, where he was essentially snubbed by the city's mayor, Zohran Mamdani. The monarch arrived to attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 memorial, but the day was overshadowed by political tensions and demands for the return of a historic diamond.
Mixed Reception in the Big Apple
Just a day after being lauded by President Donald Trump, applauded by Congress, and served a lavish dinner featuring spring-herbed ravioli and parmesan emulsion on a golden plate, King Charles found himself in a very different atmosphere in New York. Mayor Mamdani, a democratic socialist elected on a platform to rein in elites, made it clear he had no interest in a private meeting with the monarch. His press secretary, Joe Calvello, issued a terse statement: "The mayor will not meet privately with King Charles. But the mayor will be at the wreath laying ceremony today."
The Koh-i-Noor Diamond Controversy
The snub was compounded by Mamdani's public demand regarding the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a 106-carat gem that currently sits in the crown worn by the queen mother. The diamond has been the subject of an ownership dispute since it came into British possession in 1849, taken from Duleep Singh, a 10-year-old maharajah whose kingdom was seized by the British. When asked what he would say to the king if they met privately, Mamdani stated: "I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond." Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the matter.
Ceremony at the World Trade Center
At the 9/11 memorial, Charles and Queen Camilla were accompanied by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, rather than Mamdani, as they toured the memorial pools and laid a wreath. Despite the tensions, when Charles and Mamdani did meet briefly, they appeared to strike a cordial note, shaking hands and smiling during a short conversation. However, the underlying friction was palpable.
Security and Public Reaction
Security in lower Manhattan was exceptionally tight, with a subway stop closed and building access strictly monitored. Press access was severely limited, sparing Charles from questions about his brother Andrew's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The king laid his wreath less than a mile from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Epstein died by suicide in 2019. New Yorkers were largely nonplussed by the royal visit, with some expressing irritation at the travel disruptions. Danica Parry, emerging from a subway stop near the 9/11 site, remarked: "It's like a CIA operation down there." She added that she was "pretty neutral" about the royals and did not believe the US should be ruled by a hereditary monarch.
Other Engagements
Following the ceremony, Charles was whisked to an after-school urban farming project in Harlem, while Camilla traveled to the New York Public Library, where she planned to gift a stuffed kangaroo to the library's collection of Winnie-the-Pooh soft toys. The visit highlighted the stark contrasts in the king's US tour, from the heights of diplomatic praise in Washington to the pointed political challenges in New York.
