Camilla may not wear Queen mother's crown at Charles' coronation to avoid upset over controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond
12 October 2022, 22:47 | Updated: 4 November 2022, 09:42
Camilla may not wear the Queen mother's crown at King Charles' coronation to avoid upsetting India and other nations over the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond it contains.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Plans for the Queen Consort to be crowned using the priceless piece could be axed completely because of "political sensitivities", it is understood.
On the front of the crown is the famous 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world.
However, there is "significant nervousness" about using it given continuing controversy over ownership of the diamond, according to Mail+.
The diamond originated in India but is claimed by several other countries in the region.
Another option - aside from completely scrapping use of the crown - is to have the diamond removed.
A source told the site: "The original plan was for the Queen Consort to be crowned with the late Queen Mother's crown when her husband acceded to the throne.
"But times have changed and His Majesty The King is acutely sensitive to these issues, as are his advisors.
"There are serious political sensitivities and significant nervousness around them, particularly regarding India."
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
The Palace confirmed on Tuesday that the King's coronation would take place on May 6 2023 - adding that further details would be shared in due course.
The crippling cost of living crisis means the event is expected to be scaled down, but the issue of regalia could also prove a sticking point.
The crown was made in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth, consort of King George VI, with the diamond having been reset from the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary.
It was 'given' to Queen Victoria in 1855 but only after the 11-year old heir to the Punjabi throne was forced to sign it away.
On Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party told the Telegraph that if Camilla continued the tradition of wearing the crown it would hark back to the days of Empire.
"The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-Noor brings back painful memories of the colonial past,” they said.
"Most Indians have very little memory of the oppressive past. Five to six generations of Indians suffered under multiple foreign rules for over five centuries.
"Recent occasions, like Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the coronation of the new Queen Camilla and the use of the Koh-i-Noor do transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India."
