Dignitaries, celebrities and the crème de la crème of civil society flew in from around the world to make their presence known at King Charles’ coronation, a once-in-a-generation event that took place on the 6 May, 2023. Very conspicuously missing from the opulent ceremony was the Kohinoor, originally a 105-carat diamond that has long been the subject of a spat between England
There was an ostentatious display of riches at King Charles’ coronation ceremony – jewels and crowns. But are they his to use? Many of the precious regalia were stolen from past British colonies. Now amid the monarch’s ‘crowning’ moment, there’s a growing call to return the riches, India’s Kohinoor and South Africa s The Great Cullinan
The British royals are hoping to dodge another colonialism row by keeping the famed Kohinoor diamond out of the public eye at the coronation of King Charles III today.
Queen Camilla s crown does not have Kohinoor; a 105.6-carat stone mined in India with a long, disputed history. According to BBC, there were concerns about a diplomatic row with India if it had been used since India has demanded its return.
Following Buckingham Palace s decision not to use the controversially-sourced Kohinoor diamond for the coronation, the onus fell on the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds from Queen Elizabeth’s jewellery collection to adorn Camilla s crown.