Queen Consort Camilla rejects controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond for crown

The Queen Consort Camilla has avoided a potential diplomatic row over a contentious diamond, which has been a staple of the British Crown Jewels for nearly 175 years.

She is set to be crowned alongside her husband, King Charles III on 6 May, but the diamond - the Koh-i-Noor - has been plagued with disputed ownership claims and is seen by some as a spoil of Britain’s often controversial colonialist past.

The diamond was first found in India’s Kollur mine and was mentioned as early as the 14th century, in a diary entry made by Alauddin Khalji, an emperor who ruled over the Delhi Sultanate.

The Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest diamonds in the world, weighing in at 21.12 grams, has been owned by multiple Indian emperors, but was acquired by the British Empire as a result of the conquest of India. It was surrendered to Queen Victoria in 1849 and has remained a significant part of the British Crown Jewels since then.

After Queen Elizabeth II’s death last September, the Indian government raised concerns over the British monarchy’s use of the diamond, saying some Indians associate it with oppressive rule and called on Camilla not to use the Koh-i-Noor at the coronation.

While India remains an important part of the British commonwealth, the political association is a pressing issue for Charles III. In 2021, Barbados removed the Queen as its head of state and left the Commonwealth. Other Caribbean nations are believed to be considering doing the same.

The controversial diamond was first put into the coronation crown of Queen Elizabeth’s mother in 1937 but Camilla will instead wear Queen Mary’s headpiece; which she wore in 1911 at the coronation of her husband King George V, who was Charles’ great-grandfather.

Camilla is breaking with the