King Charles Faces Koh-i-Noor Call in NYC
King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 memorial in New York City on Wednesday, as the monarch’s US visit moved from Washington to the country’s largest city amid pointed political scrutiny from local leaders.
During the visit, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not meet the King privately and added that, if given the chance, he would encourage Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond, The Guardian reported.
The newspaper said Mr Mamdani’s press secretary, Joe Calvello, issued a statement emphasising the mayor would attend the public ceremony but would not hold a private meeting with the monarch. The King and Queen were accompanied at the World Trade Center site by former mayor Michael Bloomberg, touring the memorial pools and laying a wreath, before briefly greeting Mr Mamdani and speaking with first responders connected to the rescue efforts after the 2001 attacks.
The New York stop followed reporting that Charles received a standing ovation in Congress during the Washington leg of the trip, as the Palace sought to underline the diplomatic purpose of the visit alongside a series of public engagements.
The exchange over the Koh-i-Noor, a diamond long disputed because of its history during the British empire, highlighted the different pressures facing the King’s overseas appearances, where ceremonial duties can quickly intersect with contemporary debates about colonialism and the monarchy’s role.
