The crown is decorated with the Koh-i-noor stone, one of the most disputed in the world (Picture: Getty/PA)
Queen Camilla may not be able to wear a famous crown at the coronation because of its links to Britain’s colonial past.
She was expected to wear the Crown of the Queen Mother, one of the most iconic pieces in the Crown Jewels collection, when she takes her place beside King Charles on the throne on May 6.
But among its decorations is the Koh-i-noor diamond, a stone with a troubling history which could risk miring the occasion in controversy and even trigger a diplomatic spat with India.
The huge jewel was acquired by the British following war with the Sikh Empire and the annexation of the Punjab region.
It was seized by the East India Company in 1849 and presented to Queen Victoria, eventually being incorporated into the crown made for the Queen Mother to be worn at the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
Ownership of the diamond, one of the largest cut stones in the world, has been bitterly disputed for decades, with India, Pakistan Iran and even the Taliban all claiming it.
A spokesperson for India’s prime minister Narenda Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has made it clear its use could harm relations between the two countries, The Telegraph reports.
The crown, pictured here on the coffin of the Queen Mother in 2002, could attract controversy if it is used in the coronation ceremony (Picture: AP)
They said: ‘The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-noor brings back painful memories of the colonial past.
‘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 Koh-i-noor does transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India.’
Buckingham Palace declined to comment when asked about the remarks by the Press Association.
King Charles has indicated he is keen for the ceremony to be slimmed down and modernised.
The Koh-i-noor diamond passed from the defeated Sikh dynasty to the British royal family after a war during the British Empire’s expansion
The Palace said the ceremony will be ‘rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry’ but also ‘reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future’.
Camilla will also be anointed with holy oil and crowned, just like the Queen Mother was when she was crowned Queen in 1937.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly told Sky News the government would not get involved in debates about the Koh-i-noor, adding: ‘Ultimately, decisions like that are for the palace.
‘The palace is really very good at assessing the public, and indeed the international, mood.
‘We have a fantastic relationship with India and the Indian people. It is a decision for the palace and I have no doubt the coronation will be an absolute celebration.’
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The presence of the Koh-i-noor diamond at the ceremony next May could cause a diplomatic row.
