(NewsNation) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani would have asked King Charles III a particular question if the two had met privately during the monarch’s trip to the U.S. this week.
Hours before he met with Charles and Queen Camilla on Wednesday at a wreath-laying ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Mamdani said if given the opportunity, he’d call for the royal family to return a 105-carat diamond taken from India in the 1800s.
Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter release duet teased at Coachella
“I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond,” Mamdani told reporters at an unrelated event.
The Koh-i-Noor diamond, which means “Mountain of Light,” is thought to have been mined in South India in the 13th century, according to NBC News.
403420 01: The Queen Mother’s crown, bearing the Koh”i”noor diamond, lies on the coffin of the Queen Mother as it lies in state April 5, 2002 in Westminster Hall, London. The Queen Mother will lie in state in Westminster Hall before her funeral in four days. (Photo by Getty Images)
There has been a longstanding debate on whether the diamond was “taken by the British, by force, from a frightened little boy,” said author Anita Anand, referring to the 10-year-old son of the late Maharaja Ranjit Singh, or was gifted to the British following the annexation of Punjab in 1849, Gothamist reported.
Oscar statuette found after TSA flagged it as weapon
Mamdani was born in Uganda but is of Indian descent.
During King Charles’ coronation in 2023, the royal family opted out of using the diamond in the crown for Camilla’s coronation, instead using Queen Mary’s Crown and diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s jewelry, the BBC reported at the time.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.