According to Buckingham Palace, the contentious Koh-i-Noor diamond will not be used in the coronation.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, will instead be crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown, which has been removed from the Tower of London to be resized for the coronation on May 6.
It is believed to be the first occasion in “recent history” in which an existing crown will be “recycled” for a coronation.
In addition, diamonds from the jewelry of Queen Elizabeth II will be added.
Camilla, who will be crowned alongside the King at Westminster Abbey, was forced to cancel her public appearances this week due to a positive Covid test.
The ownership of the Koh-i-Noor, one of the world’s largest cut diamonds, has been contested. And diplomatic tensions with India were feared if it had been utilized.
India has asserted ownership of the diamond used in the coronation of the Queen Mother on multiple occasions.
Buckingham Palace has announced that Camilla will be crowned with Queen Mary’s crown, citing the “interests of sustainability and efficiency”
In remembrance of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the crown will be restored with Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds from her jewelry collection.
The late Queen wore these gems in brooches that were fashioned from the South African-discovered Cullinan diamond.
What is known thus far regarding the Coronation long weekend:
Coronation service at Westminster Abbey, coronation carriage parade, and Buckingham Palace balcony appearance on Saturday, May 6.
Concert and light spectacle at Windsor Castle on 7 May; Coronation Big Lunch street gatherings.
Monday, May 8: Additional bank holiday; Big Help Out encourages local volunteering.
Although it is not the largest nor the most flawless diamond in the world. The Koh-i-illustrious Noor’s past makes it probably the most disputed.
Many years of competing stories and traditions regarding the origins of the stone have passed. But historians agree it was brought from India by the Iranian king Nader Shah in 1739.
It changed hands multiple times as a result of plunder and invasion before its transfer to a British governor-general in 1849, following the annexation of Punjab.
A vanquished young monarch signed it over to the East India Company. Which had conquered extensive portions of the Indian subcontinent.
In the 1850s, Prince Albert had it recut to increase its brilliance and put it in a brooch for Queen Victoria. It subsequently became a part of the Crown Jewels.
Additionally, numerous Pakistanis and even the Taliban have asserted their rightful possession of the gem.
