UK's Queen Consort Camilla to wear crown with no Kohinoor for King Charles' coronation

For the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles III, which is to be held at Westminster Abbey in May, Queen Consort Camilla has chosen to wear the crown on which the controversial colonial-era Kohinoor diamond is not set, said the Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

The choice of Queen Mary Crown made by Camilla for coronation means it will be studded with a replica of one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, as the original diamond is presently adorning the crown of Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II's mother.

The palace stated that they removed the Queen Mary Crown from display at the Tower of London so that it can be used in the ceremony to be held on May 6, replacing it with jewels that paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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While there is a front cross set in the current crown of Queen Mary with Kohinoor diamond's detachable rock crystal replica, it is not known yet if the royalty would retain it after the changes are made for the king's coronation.

“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,” said Buckingham Palace.

Kohinoor, which in Persian means mountain of light, came in possession of Queen Victoria from Maharaja Ranjit Singh's treasury a few years before she became the Empress of India.

“Some minor changes and additions will be undertaken by the Crown Jeweller, in keeping with the longstanding tradition that the insertion of jewels is unique to the occasion, and reflects the Consort's individual style. These changes will in particular pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as the crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds,” stated the palace.

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Also, four of the eight detachable arches in the Queen Mary Crown will be removed for giving a “different impression” to when Queen Mary wore it at the 1911 coronation.

The palace further confirmed that St Edward's Crown, which will be used for King Charles' coronation, has been kept for public display at the Tower of London after its modifications were completed for the grand Westminster Abbey ceremony.

(With inputs from agencies)

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