New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani suggested on Wednesday that he would ask King Charles III to return the Kohinoor diamond during the British monarch’s visit to the city.The comments came as King Charles and Queen Camilla were in the city for a series of events, including a visit to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, where they met families of victims and paid tribute to those killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks.Speaking at a news conference in The Bronx, Mamdani was asked what he would say if he had the chance to talk to the king. According to the New York Post report, he replied, “If I had to talk to the king… I would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor diamond.” The Koh-i-Noor, a more than 100-carat diamond that belongs to the British Crown Jewels and was once used in Queen Elizabeth II’s tiara, has long been at the center of controversies over the colonial-era artifact. This gem, which is worth up to $1 billion by some estimates, was taken from India centuries ago and is now housed in the Tower of London.During their visit to the 9/11 Memorial, King Charles III and Queen Camilla met with dignitaries including Mamdani, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.The royal couple laid flowers at the memorial pool and held a moment of silence before speaking briefly with the families of the victims. The engagement was one of the major stops during his New York itinerary, which also included cultural, charitable and business-focused events.The visit to New York is part of a broader four-day state visit to commemorate 250 years of American independence. It is the first visit by a sitting British monarch to the city since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.
