Britain's Queen Camilla chooses crown without Kohinoor for coronation in May; here's why

By Team Newsable | First Published Feb 14, 2023, 9:20 PM IST

Kohinoor, which means mountain of light in Persian, came into Queen Victoria's possession from the treasury of Maharaja Ranjit Singh a few years before she was to be crowned Empress of India, and has played a starring role in British coronations of the past.

Britain's Queen Consort, Camilla, has chosen a crown without the controversial colonial-era Kohinoor diamond for her coronation ceremony with her husband, King Charles III, at Westminster Abbey in May, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

One of the largest cut diamonds in the world may only be found in a replica of Camilla's Queen Mary Crown because the original now graces the crown of Queen Elizabeth II's mother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

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According to the palace, the Queen Mary Crown was taken out of the Tower of London's collection to be modified for May 6 and decorated with gems honouring the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Although the front cross of Queen Mary's crown currently contains a removable rock crystal duplicate of the Kohinoor diamond placed into it, it is still being determined if that feature will remain after the adjustments made for the coronation.

"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.

Reports had suggested that Camilla's choice of crown, the one worn by Charles' grandmother, the Queen Mother, and with the Kohinoor, was a potential candidate.

Even though there is a history of the Queen Mary Crown wearing the contentious diamond, diplomatic sensitivities may have been taken into account while making the ultimate decision.

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Kohinoor, a mountain of light in Persian, came into Queen Victoria's possession from the treasury of Maharaja Ranjit Singh a few years before she was crowned Empress of India and has played a starring role in British coronations of the past.

"Some minor changes and additions will be undertaken by the Crown Jeweller, in keeping with the longstanding tradition that the insertion of jewels is unique to the occasion and reflects the Consort's individual style. These changes will in particular, pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as the crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds," the palace said.

For many years, Queen Elizabeth II's personal jewellery collection included the Cullinan diamonds, which the late monarch frequently wore as brooches and died in September of last year at the age of 96.

The Cullinan III and IV diamonds were briefly set in Queen Mary's crown for the 1911 Coronation, and the Cullinan V diamond was added when the crown was worn as a regal circlet at King George VI's coronation in 1937, according to the palace.

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In addition, four of the Queen Mary Crown's eight detachable arches will be removed to create a 'different impression' to when Queen Mary wore it at the 1911 coronation.

Meanwhile, the palace also confirmed that St. Edward's Crown, which will be used for the Coronation of King Charles, has now returned to public display at the Tower of London, following its modification work for the grand Westminster Abbey ceremony.

(With inputs from PTI)

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