The Controversial Reason Queen Camilla May Not Wear The Queen Mother's Crown To The Coronation
King Charles III has finally assumed the title he was destined to hold from birth. By tradition, he immediately became king after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth. The accession will be formalized next spring in his official coronation ceremony. It should be a happy occasion, but like so many other parts of the king's life to date, there's quite a bit of drama attached to it. One theory surrounding King Charles's coronation is that he deliberately chose May 6 as the date, because that also happens to be the 4th birthday of his grandson, Archie. The gossipers claim this puts Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, in an awkward spot — should he stay home and watch his son blow out candles, or go to London and watch the most important day of his father's life?
As if that weren't enough problems, a new controversy has arisen that involves Camilla, Queen Consort. As wife to the new king, she will naturally take part in the coronation ceremony, and will be dressed in a gown fit for, well, a queen. But the Daily Mail reports that she may miss out on an important accessory. Queen Camilla was expected to wear the crown once owned by Elizabeth the Queen Mother, which was last used to grace her coffin at her funeral in 2002. However, the headpiece comes with a sticky history that threatens to overshadow the king's big day.
Some say the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the crown belongs to India
As is common with royal jewelry and headpieces, the crown that the Queen Mother wore to King George VI's coronation was created from jewels already in the royal collection. Topping the piece is the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a stunning 105-carat gem nearly 300 years old. Per Town & Country, the diamond has passed through a number of Eastern dynasties, and by the 1800s, it was the property of the Sikh maharaja of India. When the British claimed parts of India through the Treaty of Lahore, the young maharaja was forced under duress to sign over the Koh-i-Noor to the empire. The diamond has become known as a symbol of colonialism ever since; even Queen Victoria admitted she hated wearing it.
It's thought that King Charles is having second thoughts about having Queen Camilla wear the Queen Mother's crown at his coronation for fear of appearing insensitive. A political commentator told the Daily Mail, "In a pluralistic modern British society, the exhibitionism of this diamond in this way can only serve to outrage and remind society of the usurious relationship between India and Britain." Other experts told the outlet that Camilla will likely either wear the crown with a different stone replacing the Koh-i-Noor, or simply don a different crown altogether.
King Charles, on the other hand, is still expected to wear a number of shockingly expensive jewels to his ceremony, so the Koh-i-Noor is unlikely to be missed.