“Return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”
That was New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s controversial message to King Charles shortly before meeting the British monarch at a 9/11 memorial in the city last week.
During the King and Queen’s state visit to the United States, they attended a wreath-laying ceremony honouring victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Shortly before Thursday’s ceremony, Mamdani’s spokesperson said he was “generally opposed to the idea of a King”, and it was confirmed they would not be meeting privately.
When asked what he would say to Charles if they were to speak outside of the ceremony, Mamdani told reporters: “I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”
Mamdani, who has Indian roots, was later pictured smiling and shaking hands with the King, but it is unclear whether the priceless diamond was mentioned again.
The 105-carat stone has long been the centre of an ownership debate.
It is part of the Crown Jewels, having been given to Queen Victoria in 1850, but India claims it was stolen during British rule.
The Indian government renewed calls for the Koh-i-Noor’s return following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, describing it as a “valued piece of art with strong roots in our nation’s history”.
The stone, which is around the size of an egg, was originally found in India’s Golconda mines and claimed by various rulers, including Mughal princes and Persian shahs.
It was in the hands of the 11-year-old Sikh ruler, Duleep Singh, when it was claimed by the British in 1849 following the Anglo-Sikh War.
There have also been ownership claims from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and former British Prime Minister David Cameron said in 2013 that returning the diamond was not “sensible”.
The diamond is currently set in the crown of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and held in the Tower of London.
The Queen Mother wore the crown for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, and for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Amid renewed calls for the diamond to be returned to India, Queen Camilla chose not to wear the crown at King Charles’ coronation in 2023.
Instead, she wore Queen Mary’s Crown when she was crowned at Windsor Castle.
The King and Queen have now returned to the UK following their four-day tour of the US and a stop in Bermuda.