Camilla to be crowned Queen Consort without Kohinoor diamond

PTI, Feb 15, 2023, 3:35 PM IST

Britain’s Queen Consort, Camilla, has chosen a crown without the controversial colonial-era Kohinoor diamond claimed by India for her Coronation ceremony with husband King Charles III on May 6, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Camilla’s choice of the Queen Mary Crown for the coronation means it may only have a replica of one of the world’s largest cut diamonds, as the original now adorns the crown of Queen Elizabeth II’s mother – Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The palace on Tuesday said that the Queen Mary Crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London to be repurposed for the ceremony on May 6 with jewels paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

While the current version of Queen Mary’s crown has a front cross set with a detachable rock crystal replica of the Kohinoor diamond, it isn’t known yet if that would be retained after the changes are made for the Coronation.

Weighing in at 105.6 carats, the Kohinoor is one of the world’s largest cut diamonds and a staple of the Royal Family’s jewel collection since it was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850, the Sky news reported.

The Kohinoor diamond was most recently worn by the Queen Mother but has been on public display since her death in 2002.

“The choice of Queen Mary’s Crown by Her Majesty is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being made, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

“In tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds. The diamonds were part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years and were often worn by Her late Majesty as brooches,” the Royal Family wrote on Instagram.

There had been much speculation over the crown to be chosen by Camilla, with reports suggesting that the one worn by Charles’ grandmother, the Queen Mother, which bears the Kohinoor was a likely choice. However, it is believed that diplomatic sensitivity may have been considered in the final choice, even though the Queen Mary Crown also has a history of once being adorned with the controversial diamond. King Charles III will wear the St Edward’s Crown, regarded as the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels. It is back on display at the Tower of London after being modified to fit the monarch, BBC reported.

It was first made for King Charles II in 1661 as a replacement for an earlier crown which was destroyed in the aftermath of the English Civil War.

The late Queen Elizabeth II also used the St Edward’s Crown during her coronation but other monarchs through history have opted for smaller or custom-made crowns.