LONDON: The star of Britain´s crown jewels, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, is back on view after a notable absence from Charles III´s coronation that highlighted the nation´s awkward ties with its colonial past.
The massive stone has appeared at formal occasions for over 150 years, but Charles´s wife Camilla opted not to wear it for May´s coronation amid debate in the UK over imperial artefacts and calls in India for the diamond´s return.
Months after the coronation, with the crown jewels returned to public display in the Tower of London, the question remains: Where does the priceless gem rightfully belong? Legend has it that the 186 carat diamond, which was cut down to 106 carats by Queen Victoria, has denoted supreme authority since at least the time of the Delhi Sultanate´s invasion of the kingdoms of southern India in the 14th century.
The British state-chartered East India Company formally annexed the Kingdom of Punjab in 1849 after winning the Second Anglo-Sikh War, gaining the diamond as part of the resulting peace treaty and giving it to Queen Victoria.
Yet, New Delhi has repeatedly sought its return and foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said last year:
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