Will Queen Camilla Wear the Queen Mother's Controversial Crown at King Charles' Coronation?

Mar. 15, 2025

Queen CamillaandKing Charlesmay opt for different royal regalia at hisMay 6 coronation.

Queen Camilla will be also crownedduring the service when King Charles is coronated, Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier this week. It has been suggested that Camilla, 75, may wear a crown made for Charles' grandmotherQueen Elizabeth(later known as the Queen Mother to avoid confusion when her daughter,Queen ElizabethII, became monarch) for King George VI’s 1937 coronation. However, it contains one of the most famous — and most controversial — diamonds in the Crown Jewels.

In India, a diplomatic row over the crown is set to overshadow the coronation plans. A source speaking for the Bharatiya Janata Party toldThe Telegraph, “The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-Nûr brings back painful memories of the colonial past.”

“Most Indians have very little memory of the oppressive past. Five to six generations of Indians suffered under multiple foreign rules for over five centuries,” the source said. “The coronation of the new Queen Camilla and the use of the Koh-i-Nûr do transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India.”

The Queen Mother with Princess Elizabeth on her Coronation Day in 1937.Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty

Before the Queen Mother’s coronation crown, the Koh-i-Nûr diamond also featured in the coronation crown of Queen Alexandra, wife to King Edward VII, who was coronated at Westminster Abbey in 1902. It was also used in a different crown for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, for his coronation ceremony in 1911.

The Queen Mother’s coffin 2002.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

For sentimental purposes, it would certainly make sense for Camilla to wear the historic piece when she is crowned alongside Charles in May 2023. The King was very close to his grandmother, and several reports have indicated that this particular crown has always been earmarked for Camilla to wear.

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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on the day of their coronation, May 12, 1937, with Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty

As the gem is completely removable (as is the velvet cap usually worn for the coronation service), it is an option that King Charles and Queen Camilla might choose to remove the controversial gem completely or opt for a different crown completely.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment, but PEOPLE understands that no decision has been made.

Monique Jessen

source: people.com