Why the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is Controversial at Charles III’s Coronation

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  Arjan van der Horst

  correspondent United Kingdom

With the coronation of Charles III, the world will see a royal spectacle on Saturday that is oozing with “pomp and pageantry”: golden carriages, military parades and ancient rituals. With a leading role for famous British crown jewels such as St Edward’s crown, the Royal Scepter with the Cross and the solid gold orb.

But one important crown jewel is emphatically not used during the ceremony: the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond. At 106 carats, it is one of the largest gemstones on the planet, but also one of the most controversial.

The origin of the Koh-i-Noor, meaning “Mountain of Light”, is shrouded in mist. The first written source to confirm the diamond’s existence is from the Persian historian Mohamed Kazim Marvi. He described in 1740 how the stone was part of the famous Peacock Throne of the Mughal Emperors, the Islamic dynasty that ruled India from the 16th to the 19th century. After that, the diamond passed into the hands of various rulers in South Asia, from Persian shahs to Afghan warlords and Indian maharajas.

In 1849, the British East India Company annexed the Indian province of Punjab and the diamond came into the possession of Queen Victoria as a spoil of war. Two years later, she would proudly display the gemstone at the 1851 World’s Fair.

At the coronation of her grandson George V in 1911, the stone was placed in the crown of George’s wife, Queen Mary, for the occasion.

The last time the Koh-i-Noor played a role in a coronation was in 1937, when the diamond was part of the crown of Queen Elizabeth, the mother of the later Queen Elizabeth II. The stone would never be used for male monarchs, because according to legend it brought mischief.

The crowns from the collection of the British Crown Jewels are not static objects. Goldsmiths work the crowns to fit the heads of the new monarch and queen. Gemstones are constantly added or removed. In the past, an important crown jewel like the Koh-i-Noor would be on display at the coronation, but the ongoing controversy surrounding the diamond has put an end to that.

Several countries, including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan see the diamond as their cultural heritage and demand that the UK return the Koh-i-Noor. An Indian government spokesman warned against using Koh-i-Noor during the coronation ceremony last year, saying it would “evoke only painful memories of the colonial past”.

The British government feared a diplomatic row. In February this year, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Koh-i-Noor would not be given a place in Queen Consort Camilla’s crown. The palace sidesteps the thorny issue by using a previously used crown, which is unusual in British coronations.

Other famous gemstones from the colonial era can be admired during the coronation. The best known are the Cullinan diamonds. The Cullinan diamond was found in 1905 in a mine in the South African town of Cullinan. Weighing in at 621 grams (3106 carats), it still ranks as the largest rough diamond ever discovered.

The then white rulers of the Transvaal bought the gemstone and presented the rough diamond as a gift to the British King Edward VII. The monarch then sent the stone to the famous Dutch diamond cutter Joseph Asscher in Amsterdam. At the king’s behest, Asscher split the gemstone into nine separate diamonds.

The largest, the Cullinan I (also called the Great Star of Africa mentioned), was given a place in the Sovereign’s Sceptre with the Cross, the golden scepter that Charles carries during the coronation ceremony. The 530-carat diamond is so heavy that the scepter had to be reinforced.

The Cullinan II diamond is incorporated into the Imperial State Crown, the crown that Charles will wear as he leaves Westminster Abbey. Three other Cullinan diamonds are incorporated into the Queen Mary’s Crowncrowning Camilla.

Despite the connection with the colonial past, there is less controversy associated with the Cullinan diamonds than with the Koh-i-Noor. Admittedly, South African lawyer and activist Mothusi Kamanga is started a petition with an appeal to Charles to return the diamonds, but his campaign has little response in his own country.

In addition to gems, there is also another stone that plays a role on Saturday. You can see how that works in this video: