Mamdani Would Ask King Charles to Return Kohinoor Diamond
Zohran Mamdani said he would ask King Charles to return the kohinoor diamond to India if he had the chance to speak with him at a 9/11 memorial event in New York City on Wednesday. The New York City mayor made the comment before a wreath-laying at Ground Zero, where officials were honoring those killed in the attacks ahead of the 25th anniversary.
“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. The 105.6-carat stone remains in Britain’s Crown Jewels, set in the crown of the Queen Mother and on display in the Tower of London.
Ground Zero comments
Mamdani was taking questions from reporters before the memorial ceremony, turning a solemn public appearance into a brief intervention in a long-running diplomatic dispute. His remark linked a New York civic event to a royal object that India and several other countries have sought back from Britain.
The statement mattered because the Koh-i-Noor has never stopped being politically charged. It has been claimed by India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, while Britain has kept it inside the Crown Jewels.
Britain’s Crown Jewels
The diamond’s history reaches back to the 13th century, when it was likely discovered in South India. It came into Britain’s possession in 1849 after the annexation of the Punjab and the signing of the Treaty of Lahore, which required the 10-year-old king to hand sovereignty and the diamond over to the British.
After that, the gem became part of Britain’s Crown Jewels and was worn by several queens before it was placed in the crown of the Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI and mother to Queen Elizabeth II, wore it in that setting before it went on display in the Tower of London.
India and the Royal Family
India is one of several countries that have pressed Britain to return the diamond, but neither Britain nor the Royal Family has given any indication that it will be handed back. That leaves Mamdani’s comment as a public reminder that the stone’s ownership remains contested even while it sits in a London display case.
For the royal schedule in New York, the wreath-laying at Ground Zero was the immediate event; for the diamond, the next step depends on whether King Charles is ever asked directly and whether anyone in Britain is willing to move from silence to an answer.
