Britain’s Buckingham Palace announced that Camilla, wife of King Charles, will wear Queen Mary’s crown during the coronation ceremony next May, avoiding the 105-carat “Koh-i-Noor” diamond crown, and asking India to return it.
The Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest diamonds in the world, was seized by the East India Company during the colonial era and presented to Queen Victoria.
The diamond was set in a tiara that was last worn by Charles’ grandmother at her coronation.
Pakistan, which was part of British-ruled India, and Afghanistan have both claimed ownership of the diamond since India gained independence in 1947.
Camilla will wear Queen Mary’s crown, which was worn by the wife of King George V at the coronation ceremony in 1911. Buckingham Palace said that the crown will see some changes to install jewelry that suits the occasion and reflects Camilla’s taste.
“Her Majesty’s selection of Queen Mary’s Crown marks the first time in modern history that an existing crown will be used at the coronation of a consort, rather than commissioning a new one for the sake of sustainability and efficiency,” the palace said in a statement.
Charles automatically became king of 15 kingdoms, including Canada, New Zealand and Australia, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in September, but he and his wife Camilla will be officially crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London.
The palace said the Queen Mary’s tiara would be set with the third, fourth and fifth cut Cullinan diamonds, in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth. These pieces were part of the Queen’s personal collection and were often worn as brooches.
The palace stated that four of the crown’s eight detachable brackets would be removed. The crown is no longer on display in the Tower of London for modifications.
The last time a queen consort’s crown was worn was in the 18th century.