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NYC Mayor Mamdani Meets King Charles at 9/11 Memorial
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for the return of the Koh-i-Noor diamond hours before meeting King Charles III at a 9/11 Memorial ceremony. The 105.6-carat gem, part of the British Crown Jewels, has a contested history tied to British colonial rule in India. Multiple nations, including India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, have claimed ownership.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, where the encounter included smiles, polite exchanges, and a handshake captured in photographs.
The meeting occurred during King Charles III and Queen Camilla's four-day visit to the United States, which began on Monday and included events in New York City and planned activities in Virginia on Thursday. Buckingham Palace and Mamdani's office have not disclosed whether the diamond was discussed during their interaction at the public event.
6-carat oval-cut diamond known as 'Mountain of Light' in Persian, originated in the Kollur Mine in southern India in the 14th century and passed through Mughal emperors, Afghan rulers, and Sikh Maharajas over centuries. Originally weighing around 186 old carats when acquired by the British in 1849, the diamond was recut in 1852 under Prince Albert's direction into an oval brilliant shape, reducing its weight by about 40 percent to enhance sparkle.
The British obtained the Koh-i-Noor after annexing Punjab following the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, compelling 10-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh to sign the Treaty of Lahore, which surrendered the gem to Queen Victoria.
The diamond was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London as a symbol of British imperial authority, though its traditional rose cut initially failed to impress visitors. In 1937, the Koh-i-Noor became part of the British Crown Jewels, set into the front of the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, worn for King George VI's coronation and later for Queen Elizabeth II's.
The crown featuring the Koh-i-Noor is on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.
The diamond was not used in Queen Camilla's coronation due to concerns about diplomatic tensions with India; she wore Queen Mary's Crown instead. The Government of India has demanded the Koh-i-Noor's return since 1947, viewing it as a symbol of colonial expropriation and lost sovereignty.
