Washington DC: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he would encourage King Charles III to return the historic Kohinoor Diamond to India, as the monarch continued his visit to the United States.
Mamdani says he’d urge King Charles to return Kohinoor
Speaking ahead of a 9/11 memorial ceremony, Mamdani indicated that while the matter was not officially on the agenda, he would raise it if given a private audience. He said, “If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor Diamond.”
The mayor, who is of Indian origin, made the remarks hours before meeting the British monarch in New York.
Later in the day, King Charles briefly interacted with Mamdani at the September 11 memorial event. However, it remains unclear whether the issue of the diamond was discussed during their exchange. Buckingham Palace declined to comment and the mayor’s office did not provide further details on the meeting.
Kohinoor
The Kohinoor remains a subject of long-standing dispute between India and the United Kingdom. The diamond, now part of the British Crown Jewels, was seized from India during the colonial period.
India has consistently maintained that the gem was acquired under duress from Sikh ruler Maharaja Duleep Singh and has called for its return, describing it as a “valued piece of art with strong roots in our nation’s history.”
The 105.6-carat diamond originated in India and passed through several dynasties, including the Mughals, Persian rulers and Afghan emirs, before being seized by the British East India Company in 1849 under the Treaty of Lahore.
Today, it is set in a crown displayed at the Tower of London. While India continues to seek its repatriation, the UK maintains legal ownership based on the treaty.