New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said before meeting King Charles III he wanted to advocate on behalf of India over their demands for a precious diamond from the British crown jewels.
Following a successful day in Washington DC for King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla on Tuesday, where their Royal Highnesses exchanged speeches with President Donald Trump, addressed Congress, and were treated to a White House banquet, the pair travelled on to New York on Wednesday. Both King and Queen made a pilgrimage to the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan before separately visiting chosen charities. 67 British citizens died on 9/11, many working in businesses headquartered in the World Trade Centre.
While the King was hosted by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is now the chairman of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a gathering of city officials and dignitaries to meet the King also included Mayor Mamdani. The men shook hands and exchanged brief private words, but Mamdani had earlier indicated that given the chance, he would harangue the King.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 29: King Charles III and Queen Camilla, alongside former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, visit the 9/11 Memorial during a state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla on April 29, 2026, in New York City. In his first visit to the U.S. as the British monarch, King Charles III toured the nation’s capital where he met with U.S. President Trump at the White House and addressed a joint meeting of Congress before traveling to New York City as part of a multi-day trip to mark the United States of America’s 250th anniversary of its independence. (Photo by Jeenah Moon – Pool/Getty Images)
In comments reported by The New York Times, Mayor Mamdani clearly implied in a press conference this morning that his first thought was to advocate on behalf of the Indian government with the British head of state, rather than for New Yorkers. He said: “You know, if I was to speak to the King separately [from the 9/11 memorial event] I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond”.
The Koh-i-Noor, the vast 105 carat diamond that came to Britain from the Indian Empire, was once worn by Queen Victoria and Queen Mary, is claimed by several countries including India, Pakistan, and the Taliban. De-colonising Western collections is often a popular cause among the hard-left.
After the 9/11 memorial, the King visited an urban farm for local students in Harlem — faming and encouraging young people to better themselves through skills are particular charitible interests of his — while the Queen visited the New York Public Library. Encouraging reading among young people is one of Queen Camilla’s main campaign interests, and she gave a group of school children a reading of Winnie-the-Pooh. Among the guests were Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 29: Sarah Jessica Parker and Queen Camilla attend a literacy event at The New York Public Library during a state visit on April 29, 2026 in New York City. In his first visit to the U.S. as the British monarch, King Charles III toured the nation’s capital where he met with U.S. President Trump at the White House and addressed a joint meeting of Congress before traveling to New York City as part of a multi-day trip to mark the United States of America’s 250th anniversary of its independence. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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