Queen Consort Camilla may not wear Kohinoor crown during coronation
The UK’s Queen Consort Camilla may not be coronated with The Queen Mother’s crown featuring the Kohinoor diamond. Buckingham Palace officials are reportedly reconsidering the decision after the BJP warned that the move would evoke “painful memories of the colonial past.”
Camilla and her husband, King Charles III, are schedule to be coronated at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023.
The BJP has vehemently opposed the British royal family’s use of the diamond, which it claims rightfully belongs to India. However, Afghanistan and Pakistan have also claimed ownership of the jewel.
Diamond may be detached from crown
“The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Kohinoor brings back painful memories of the colonial past,” a BJP spokesperson told The Telegraph, UK.
Also read: Tracking Kohinoor: Why the priceless diamond is special and who will inherit it next
“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 Kohinoor do transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India,” The Telegraph quoted the spokesperson.
Reports suggest that the Kohinoor diamond may be detached from the crown, or the new King and Queen may use some other crown from the royal collection.
Soured relationship
The crown featuring Kohinoor was created in 1937 for the Queen Mother during the coronation of her husband, King George VI. Later, it went to Elizabeth II. She was last spotted wearing the crown for the 2016 State Opening.
The crown features 2,800 diamonds, along with the 105-carat Kohinoor, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. It was placed on the Queen Mother’s coffin during her funeral in 2002 and has since been on public display in the Tower of London.
Also read: Odisha body claims Kohinoor belongs to Lord Jagannath, seeks its return from UK
The diamond is said to have adorned Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s peacock throne in the 17th century. The invading Iranian ruler Nadir Shah took it away from India in 1739. It passed many hands before being ceded to Queen Victoria in 1849 after the British annexation of Punjab.
The relationship between India and the UK soured recently after comments made by UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman about visa overstayers angered the BJP government. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reportedly came on the verge of collapse.
(With agency inputs)
