Camilla, Queen Consort, will not wear the disputed 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond at the coronation of her husband King Charles III, Buckingham Palace said today.
Instead she will wear a modified version of Queen Mary’s crown, made by Garrard for the 1911 coronation and reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds.
The announcement won’t resolve a long-running dispute over the ownership, claimed by India, as well as Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan – but it will avoid the inevitable escalation if she had worn it.
Buckingham Palace said: “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.”
It has been removed from public display at the Tower of London for modification ahead of the coronation on 6 May.
Shortly before her death, Queen Elizabeth II indicated that Camilla should wear the crown, according to a Daily Mail report at the time.
The Koh-i-Noor, a 14th century Type IIa D-color Golconda diamond was cut from an 186-carat gem.
It was presented to Britain by the Maharaja of Lahore in 1847 after the Anglo-Sikh war. It was re-cut as a significantly smaller brilliant oval and has been part of the Crown Jewels ever since.
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