King Charles III was in New York for a visit that included a 9/11 memorial ceremony, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had something else on his mind. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the event, Mamdani said he would use any private moment with the British monarch to press for the return of the Kohinoor Diamond to India.

"If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor Diamond," said Mamdani, who is of Indian origin, hours before the two met at the memorial.

The issue was not on the official agenda. Later in the day, King Charles briefly interacted with Mamdani at the 9/11 commemoration, but it remains unclear whether the diamond came up in their exchange. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Mamdani's remarks. The mayor's office also did not elaborate on what was discussed.

A 105.6-carat dispute with deep colonial roots

The Kohinoor is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing 105.6 carats. Its journey from India to Britain passed through the hands of Mughal emperors, Persian shahs, and Afghan emirs before arriving in British hands via the Treaty of Lahore in 1849, a document signed under duress by the child-king, Maharaja Duleep Singh, who was compelled to surrender it to the British East India Company. It is currently on display in the Tower of London, in the crown of Queen Elizabeth.

India has long maintained that the gem was taken under coercion and has consistently demanded its return, describing it as "a valued piece of art with strong roots in our nation's history." The UK, however, continues to assert legal ownership on the basis of the 19th-century treaty.

Mamdani's remarks add a fresh and unexpected voice to a debate that has persisted for decades, this time from the mayor of one of the world's most prominent cities, speaking directly to the monarch during an official visit to the United States.

Published on: Apr 30, 2026 9:46 AM IST