King Charles’ coronation marked a symbolic ceremony of service and pageantry in the history of the United Kingdom. As the ceremony attracted millions of audiences across the globe, the new monarch wore the 5-pound solid gold frame St Edward’s crown cladded with 400 plus stones. While all eyes looked around for the controversial colonial treasure, the contentious Koh-i-Noor diamond was nowhere to be found. Neither on King Charles’ Crown nor Queen Camilla’s.

The underlying reason for such a decision has thus substantiated the country’s forthcoming diplomatic hazards with its commonwealth nation. The colonial gem has once again sprung up to the spotlight with India’s government trying its best to get back the ancient treasure. 

Prime Minister Modi is personally committed to the homecoming of Koh-i-noor 

A couple of days ago, Telegraph reported India’s “reckoning with the past” with the push coming directly from the country’s apex, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. India will soon be launching its “repatriation campaign” to recover its exquisite ancestral artifacts from the Kingdom. “It is of huge importance to the government,” affirmed the Ministry of Culture Department Head of India. It has also added that the decision stems from the Prime Minister’s “personal commitment” who has made it a major priority. 

Owing to the same, India’s diplomats and ambassadors in London will put forward official claims to institutions that seized the artifacts as a result of colonial coercion. The effective initiative is likely to cause a parliament legislative shift and even acquire royal permission to proceed. Hailed as the living bridge between India and the Kingdom, the Indian-origin UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, will thus face a daunting challenge to handle diplomatic relations. India’s top authorities in the capital city, New Delhi, have termed the homecoming of the jewel, as “deeply symbolic.”

It is perhaps due to the controversial history of the gem that Queen Camilla chose avoid Koh-i-Noor in her crown.

Queen Camilla avoided gem to keep diplomatic sensitivity at bay 

With its rich yet stained history, Koh-i-Noor has long been a matter of controversy between Great Britain and India. Having originated from the Deccan parts of the subcontinent, the Koh-i-Noor has been looted, gifted, and even stolen by Rulers and Conquerors of the past. Changing multiple hands from empires to dynasties, it was at last ceded to the possession of the British Crown. It finally landed in Queen Victoria’s jewel collection following the annexation of Punjab.

The contentious diamond is currently in the possession of King Charles III under the British Crown. Nevertheless, Queen Camilla reportedly refrained from adorning it in the Queen Mary Crown in order to “not to upset India.” It is to see how the historical transactions unfold in the upcoming days. 

What are your opinions about the same? Do you think the UK government will return the colonial treasure back to India? Tell us in the comments below.