US EditionMamdani says he’d ask King Charles to return Kohinoor diamond to India
Zohran Mamdani said he would urge King Charles III to return the 105.6-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, a long-contested crown jewel claimed by India and others.
- On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City, where they met Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a wreath-laying ceremony honoring nearly 3,000 victims.
- Hours before the ceremony, Mamdani told reporters, "I'd probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor diamond," citing the gem's controversial colonial history and the ongoing restitution debate.
- Official reports confirmed the encounter remained brief and public, with the King and mayor exchanging pleasantries during the wreath-laying rather than holding a private meeting.
- Keeping the restitution debate in view, the public interaction averted immediate diplomatic confrontation while potentially shaping political discourse on the British Crown Jewels' colonial legacy.
- Seized in 1849 after the annexation of Punjab, the 105.6-carat diamond remains contested, with India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan all maintaining ownership claims on the gem.
44 Articles
44 Articles
The mayor of New York announced that he would propose to the British king the return of world-famous and high-caliber diamonds to India
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Mamdani calls on King Charles to return Koh-i-Noor diamond
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for King Charles to "return" the prized Koh-i-Noor diamond, which the British Empire took from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s, on the third day of the monarch's state visit on Wednesday.
'Will Ask King Charles To Return Kohinoor To India': NYC Mayor Mamdani Ahead Of Royal Visit
New York City: In a bold challenge to centuries of British colonial history, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday signalled that any potential audience with King Charles III would be far from a mere formality.At a press conference, when pressed on what his message woul
King Charles’ NYC visit brings traffic, tight press access and a diamond dig from Mamdani
King Charles III effectively reigned over Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, bringing traffic chaos, a heavy police presence, and press restrictions to the 9/11 Memorial — where Mayor Zohran Mamdani greeted the British monarch hours after saying he might urge him to return a crown jewel long disputed as a product of colonial conquest if the two spoke privately. Footage from inside the event showed Mamdani and Charles shaking hands and briefly convers…
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