ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Camilla will not wear disputed Koh-i-Noor diamond for coronation

Share
LONDON -

Camilla, wife of King Charles III, will wear the crown of Queen Mary for her coronation in May, Buckingham Palace said, avoiding the use of a crown featuring the disputed 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond which India has demanded be returned.

The Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, was taken from India by the East India Company during the colonial era and presented to Queen Victoria. It is set in a crown last worn by Charles's grandmother during her coronation.

Pakistan, part of British-ruled India, and Afghanistan have also claimed ownership of it since Indian independence in 1947.

Camilla will wear the Queen Mary crown, commissioned and worn by the consort of King George V for the 1911 coronation. Some changes will be made to it, the palace said, to inset jewels unique to the occasion and to reflect her own style.

"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 in a statement.

Charles automatically became king of 15 realms, including Canada, New Zealand and Australia, on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth in September, but his and queen consort Camilla's official coronation will take place on May 6 at London's Westminster Abbey.

The Queen Mary crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, the palace said. The diamonds were part of her personal collection and were often worn by her as broaches.

Four of the crown's eight detachable arches will also be removed, the palace said. The crown was taken off display at the Tower of London for the modification work to be carried out.

The last time a queen consort’s crown was re-used was in the 18th century.

Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Nick Macfie

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.