Camilla may not wear the Queen Mother’s crown at King Charles’ coronation to avoid offending India and other countries over the contentious Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Plans for the Queen Consort to be crowned with the precious item may be scrapped entirely because of “political sensitivities,” it is thought.
The legendary 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, one of the world’s biggest cut diamonds, is set in the crown’s front.
According to Mail+, there is “significant nervousness” about utilizing it because of the ongoing dispute over ownership of the diamond.
The diamond was discovered in India, although numerous other nations in the vicinity claim ownership.
Aside from not using the crown, another alternative is to remove the diamond.
A source told the site: “The original plan was for the Queen Consort to be crowned with the late Queen Mother’s crown when her husband acceded to the throne.
“But times have changed and His Majesty The King is acutely sensitive to these issues, as are his advisors.
“There are serious political sensitivities and significant nervousness around them, particularly regarding India.”
Buckingham Palace did not respond.
The Palace confirmed on Tuesday that the King’s coronation will take place on May 6, 2023, and that more information would be released in due time.
The event is set to be trimmed back because to the debilitating cost of living crisis, but the question of regalia might also be a sticking point.
The diamond in the crown was reset from the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary and was created in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth, consort of King George VI.
It was ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria in 1855, but only after the 11-year-old Punjabi heir was forced to sign it away.
The Bharatiya Janata Party said on Wednesday that if Camilla continued to wear the crown, it would harken back to the days of Empire.”The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-Noor brings back painful memories of the colonial past,” they said.
“Most Indians have very little memory of the oppressive past. Five to six generations of Indians suffered under multiple foreign rules for over five centuries.
“Recent occasions, like Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the coronation of the new Queen Camilla and the use of the Koh-i-Noor do transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India.”