Overview
- Mamdani, who said Wednesday he would urge King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor, made the remark hours before greeting the monarch at a 9/11 memorial in New York.
- The two spoke briefly at the ceremony, and Buckingham Palace and the mayor’s office did not confirm that the diamond came up.
- The comments drew pushback, with Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf calling them an “insult to our King” and New York Post editorials faulting the mayor’s tone.
- The Koh-i-Noor is a 105–106 carat diamond taken into British possession after the 1849 annexation of Punjab and now sits in the late Queen Mother’s crown on display at the Tower of London.
- India has pressed for its return for years, while Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have also laid claims, highlighting wider fights over colonial-era artifacts and possible pressure on UK institutions to consider repatriation.