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Coffin of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002, crowned with the high-profile Koh-i-Noor
Photo: Tim Graham Library via Getty Images
What responsibility does the British monarchy bear for the brutal colonialism of the Empire?
Should the new King Charles III.
deal more aggressively with this problem?
These questions have been discussed since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, especially in former British colonies.
Now the debate is getting new fuel.
Queen Camilla will be crowned with a crown containing a special jewel: the world-famous Koh-i-Noor diamond at her coronation on May 6th next year.
It comes from India, where it came into the possession of the British East India Company in the 19th century.
In other words, the British stole Indian property.
As the British newspaper The Telegraph reported, the prospect of Camilla being crowned along with Koh-i-Noor was not met with enthusiasm in India.
A spokesman for the Indian governing party BJP warned that this could bring back painful memories of the colonial era.
The "Telegraph" also quoted palace circles, according to which the use of the diamond or the entire crown was "checked".
The British government sees the decision at Buckingham Palace.
"The Palace is very good at gauging public and international sentiment," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News.
The crown can be viewed as part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.
Shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many Indians on social media called for the return of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, whose name means "mountain of light", to its Indian homeland.
The matter is tricky for the government in London: It is currently trying to seal a trade agreement with India and therefore does not want to upset New Delhi.
aeh/dpa