In the dispute over the use of the Indian diamond Kohinoor at the coronation of King Charles III. and his wife Camilla, the British government sees the decision at Buckingham Palace. “The palace is very good at gauging public and international sentiment.” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News on Thursday.
The world-famous high-carat diamond is part of the coronation crown of Queen Mum, Queen Elizabeth’s mother. It comes from the former British colony of India, where it came into the possession of the British East India Company in the 19th century.
Visitable in the Tower
As the British newspaper “The Telegraph” reported, the prospect of Camilla being able to have the crown and Kohinoor put on at the planned coronation on May 6, 2023 was not met with enthusiasm in India. A spokesman for the Indian ruling party BJP warned that this could bring back painful memories of the colonial days and people could feel transported back to the days of the Empire. The “Telegraph” also quoted palace circles, according to which the use of the diamond or the entire crown was being examined.
The crown can be viewed as part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many Indians on social media called for the return of the Kohinoor diamond, whose name means “mountain of light”, to its Indian homeland.
The matter is tricky for the government in London: It is currently trying to seal a trade agreement with India and therefore does not want to upset New Delhi.
Report in the “Telegraph”