Mamdani Urges King Charles to Return Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will spend their second leg of their four-day state visit in New York City following a visit in Washington D.C.

This third day of royal state visit, King and Queen is expected to visit the 9/11 Memorial, the New York Public Library and other locations.

After they arrived at Memorial, royals met with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as they laid flowers at the memorial, as well as King and Queen met with the current Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who said that in a private conversation with the royal couple, he might raise the issue of returning the Koh-i-Noor diamond.

According to The Independent, Mamdani told reporters. that if he ever had a private audience with King Charles III, he wouldn’t waste the moment. “If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I’d probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor diamond.”

The leftist mayor said, adding that his focus would be honoring those killed in the terror attacks.

It’s unclear whether Mamdani followed through and brought up the contentious subject with Charles when the two met.

The monarch was seen laughing with Mamdani and having a brief conversation after they shook hands.

At the National 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan, King Charles laid flowers to honour the victims keeping the official tone firmly respectful and apolitical.

Mamdani, too, made it clear that the ceremony itself wasn’t the place for historical reckonings.

he said, again as quoted by The Independent. “The focus of that wreath-laying is to honour the more than 3,000 New Yorkers who were killed… and that is really what I’m looking to do at that event.”

The reference has once again sparked dispute over the Kohinoor, a precious stone that is both iconic and politically charged.

The diamond, mined in India and acquired during the colonial era, Tache jewel now remains in the Tower of London as part of the British Crown Jewels, while India has repeatedly sought its return since 1947.

The Independent reported, the royal family, unsurprisingly, isn’t engaging. A Palace spokesperson declined to comment on Mamdani’s remarks.