US EditionMamdani says he’d ask King Charles to return Kohinoor diamond to India
The mayor said he would urge the monarch to return the 105.6-carat diamond, and Buckingham Palace declined to say whether it came up.
- 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.
147 Articles
147 Articles
Mayor Mamdani Criticized for Tense Royal Encounter Over Koh-i-Noor Diamond
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced backlash for his 'rude' reception of King Charles III, urging the return of the Koh-i-Noor diamond before a 9/11 Memorial meeting. The New York Post criticized Mamdani for prioritizing personal views on colonialism over diplomatic respect during the royal visit.
Mamdani ignites colonial clash over British Crown Jewels during King Charles visit
US authorities return hundreds of looted Indian antiquities as Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s remarks on the British Crown Jewels revive tensions over colonial-era cultural ownership during King Charles’ New York visit
PRESS REVIEW. Upstream of a meeting with the king, the mayor of New York suggested that Britain should restore the jewel to India. Indian and Anglo-Saxon media retraces the trajectory of this "strong symbol in the debate on colonial history" Some myths and a good dose of historical controversy were invited to the Charles III tour in the United States, which ended this Thursday. After being received in great pomp at the White House, Charles and C…
Zohran Mamdani Challenges King Charles To Return Crown Jewel
MEGA (Left) ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA (Right) King Charles was put on the spot with a bold challenge to return a crown jewel after New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani shared what he’d say to the monarch during his ongoing U.S. visit. The royal, who arrived in New York with Queen Camilla following stops in Washington, was in the middle of a packed schedule, including a visit to the 9/11 memorial, when Mamdani made the offhand remark. Charles has yet to…
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