King Charles III is on a visit to the United States from April 27 to April 30. His trip and meeting with the American President is considered to be a step towards stronger US-UK relations along with a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Pictures of the King and Trump all friendly with each other have consistently been surprising the internet, considering not many are quickly able to enter Trump's good graces, take Zelenskyy for instance. But while the President might be working to foster the American-British bond, NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani recently made a statement to the press that has exploded online.
Mamdani's Statement on Kohinoor
Mamdani, an Indian-origin politician in the states was asked during a press meet on Wednesday what he would say to King Charles III, whom he was about to meet later that day. Surprising many of the attendees and the rest of the world, he said if he were talking to the King separately he would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor diamond. "If I was to speak to the king separately from that I would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor diamond," he said, sending many into a chuckle.
Social Media Reactions
While many Indians online hailed Mamdani for his nonchalant and brave answer, Americans seem to have felt betrayed by his statement. "A indian origin boy demands the Kohinoor from King Charles. Are we Live 2026?(sic).." wrote a user on X (formerly Twitter). "That's his priority? Not sure how that helps the U.S. or New York - maybe his real motivations lie elsewhere?," questioned another. "They can't because once they start returning stuff they stole, there wouldn't be any jewels and the British Museum would be empty," one quipped. "Why is he representing a foreign countries interests as mayor of nyc? Because Mamdani's heart and true nationality are foreign first and then America some multiple places after that, maybe," claimed another.
The Kohinoor Diamond
Later in the day, Mamdani met King Charles at the 9/11 Memorial however there's no report on whether the uncanny question was asked. The 105.6 carat Kohinoor diamond was surrendered to Queen Victoria in 1849 by 13-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh. The surrender was actually forced upon him by the British East India Company after their conquest of the Sikh Empire. It was worn by her on her crown in 1937. India has been raising the matter of the return of the Kohinoor from time to time with the UK government and said it will continue to explore ways and means for obtaining a "satisfactory resolution of the matter." Currently, Kohinoor is displayed at the Tower of London. It has "many previous owners, including Mughal Emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh Maharajas," according to the Historic Royal Palaces charity.
