Mamdani could ask King Charles long-standing India question during NYC visit: ‘Return Koh-i-Noor diamond’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he could raise a long-standing demand tied to India’s colonial past if he gets a chance to speak privately with King Charles III during the monarch’s visit to the city.
According to Politico, Mamdani made the comment at a press conference on Wednesday, hours before he was set to attend a wreath-laying ceremony in Lower Manhattan where he is expected to cross paths with the king.
“If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I’d probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond,” Mamdani said, referring to the historic gem embedded in a British royal crown.
A spokesperson for the royal family declined to comment on the mayor’s remarks.
Koh-i-Noor dispute
The Koh-i-Noor diamond, currently housed in the Tower of London, has long been at the centre of competing claims. India has repeatedly sought its return, citing its removal during British colonial rule.
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Other countries, including Iran and Pakistan, have also laid claim to the stone.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are in the US for a four-day trip that has included a private meeting with Donald Trump, an address to Congress and a formal White House dinner.
Focus on 9/11 ceremony
As part of their trip, King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to attend a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York City. According to Reuters, the royal couple are also expected to meet families of victims of the attacks, which killed nearly 2,800 people in the city.
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They are set to meet Mamdani at the ceremony, along with the governors of New York and New Jersey. “I’ll be attending a wreath laying… and the focus… is to honor the more than 3,000 New Yorkers who were killed,” Mamdani said.
The New York stop follows a busy day in Washington, where the king delivered an address to the US Congress, held a private meeting with Donald Trump, and met leaders from the US tech industry, Reuters reported.