Koh-i-Noor remark gone wrong? NYC Mayor Mamdani faces backlash over ‘rude’ royal welcome to King Charles

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under criticism after saying he would encourage King Charles III to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond to India, a remark that was made just hours before he met the monarch and Queen Camilla at the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan on Wednesday.

The comments, made during a press interaction ahead of the royal visit, triggered accusations that he had given the king a “rude” welcome and failed to set aside his focus on colonial-era disputes during a solemn public event.

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Tribute first, Koh-i-Noor later

At the press conference, Mamdani said the wreath-laying at the World Trade Center memorial was intended to honor “the more than 3,000 New Yorkers who were killed in the horrific terror attacks of September 11" and added, “And that’s what I’m really looking to do at that event.”

When pressed on what he might say to the king separately, he said, “If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”

‘Rude welcome’ row gains traction

The New York Post Editorial Board then attacked the mayor’s handling of the visit, saying he could not manage “a decent welcome” and arguing that he had shown disrespect at a sensitive moment.

The criticism intensified after the Post said Mamdani had done “the absolute minimum” by agreeing only to “just one brief meeting with the monarch” at the memorial, even though King Charles visited several places in the city.

Another Post article described him as acting “like a petulant teen" while also questioning the timing of raising the Koh-i-Noor issue during the king’s visit to honor 9/11 victims. A city hall spokesperson said Mamdani and Charles “exchanged pleasantries” during the brief interaction.

King Charles and Queen Camilla also visited Harlem Grown during their time in New York.

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Why does Koh-i-Noor still spark global debate?

The Koh-i-Noor diamond, which remains at the Tower of London, has long been the subject of dispute, with India previously indicating it would continue exploring ways to bring the gem back from the United Kingdom.

The Koh-i-Noor is one of the world’s most famous diamonds, weighing 105.6 carats in its current form, though it was originally larger before being recut in the 19th century. Believed to have been mined in India, most likely from the Kollur mines along the Krishna River, the diamond has passed through the hands of several South Asian and Persian rulers over centuries, including the Mughals and later Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The gem came into British possession in 1849 after the annexation of Punjab by the East India Company. It was formally presented to Queen Victoria and later incorporated into the British crown jewels. Today, it is set in the crown and kept in the Tower of London.

The United Kingdom has maintained that the acquisition of the gem was legal under the terms of the Treaty of Lahore. This makes the Koh-i-Noor both a prized royal artifact and a symbol of a contested colonial legacy.