Queen Consort Camilla to Re-Use Queen Mary’s Crown for Coronation of King Charles III, Skirting Controversy of Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Consort Camilla will not wear the Koh-i-Noor diamond during the coronation of King Charles III in May. The diamond, which has had many previous owners including heads of the Mughal Empire, has been a source of controversy due to its acquisition during the age of Empire.

Rather than commission a new crown, as is customary, Camilla will modify Queen Mary’s crown using diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection. Camilla wore the Crown of Queen Elizabeth, which features the Koh-i-Noor diamond, to the funeral of her husband’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022.

The decision to not use the diamond in the coronation crown is a way for the Royal Family to sidestep the controversy surrounding the gem. The crown was given to Queen Elizabeth II’s mother in 1937, according to the Historic Royal Palaces.

This will be the first time in history a crown will be “recycled” for a coronation. The coronation of King Charles III is set to take place in May, and will be the first coronation of a British monarch in over a decade.