Is a spade a spade when it comes to Kings, Queens and the Koh-i-Noor diamond?

Saturday May 6th 2023 marks the day of King Charles III’s coronation. The anointing oil, liquid from the Mount of Olives, has been consecrated in the place where Christians believe that Jesus is buried. King Charles, ‘God’s representative on earth’ - being crowned is a symbol of God’s power.
‘Throughout history, crowns were an image of authority and honour, as God is the one who crowns kings. All earthly authority comes from heaven (Romans 13:1-2) and this continues to be recognised in the hybrid, uncodified constitution of modern-day Britain, written in law, precedent and Christian ceremony. (Christianity Magazine)
Therefore there is an understanding that the King’s crown is a symbol of his representative rule over a kingdom ultimately ruled by God. And so, when we witness King Charles’ coronation, one can also consider that the British tradition dictates that the crowning of the king formalises the idea that he is chosen by God. And yet, many in the black community watch on, still concerned about how King Charles’ rule will be different to Queen Elizabeth II.
The royals are indeed influencers. And while some remember the racist controversy of King Charles apparently refusing to shake a black man’s hand, how Meghan and Harry were treated by the royal family (Prince Charles, Meghan Markle and the power of racist microagressions - NBC News) and the racist comments made by the late queen’s aid which lead to her resignation, King Charles is our first post-colonial monarch. Despite the accusations of the royal family, like many, still benefiting from slavery money, he has stopped short of giving an apology, instead expressing his ‘personal sorrow’ over the slave trade. And yet the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, arguably ‘stolen goods’, remains in Queen Elizabeth’s crown.
Following her death, social media users in India began a fresh request for the famous diamond to be returned. The diamond, nearly 106-carat, was discovered in India and was ‘obtained’ by the British Empire. Duleep Singh, a child prince, was "forced" by the British to sign a legal document amending the Treaty of Lahore, that required Duleep to give away the Koh-i-Noor and all claim to sovereignty.
The Koh-i-Noor — which means "Mountain of Light" in Persian — is believed to be one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. It originated from a mine in India thousands of years ago and has been a symbol of conquest throughout its history.
Over the past twenty years, India has made several requests to Britain to return the diamond. Many believe that the diamond was ‘stolen’ during the colonial era and should be rightfully returned.
‘India first demanded the return of the stone in 1947, the year it gained independence from the British after a freedom movement fought over two centuries. It made another formal request in 1953 and yet again in 1997 when the queen visited India to mark the 50th anniversary of independence from Britain. However, Britain denied all the requests, saying the stone had been part of its heritage for more than 150 years.
In 2010, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that the diamond would “stay put” in Britain. During his visit to India in 2013, famously said returning the stone was not “sensible.” “I certainly don't believe in 'returnism', as it were,” he said. The diamond, as part of Queen Mary’s Crown, has for years been securely kept in the Tower of London.
Although no plans for the gem have been disclosed, the fact that it still remains in the UK today after the Queen’s passing at age 96, is disconcerting to many Indians.’
(India Demands its Kohinoor Diamond Back)
Arguably, everytime this crown is worn in the public eye, it reminds many of Britain's colonial past and the shameful way this diamond was obtained. Perhaps this has influenced the decision for Queen’s Consort, Camilla, to wear the crown at King Charles’ coronation on May 6th without the Koh-i-Noor diamond present.
After Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8, 2022, the word “Kohinoor” began trending in India displaying the desire of many to have the diamond returned to India. And at the coronation of King Charles, there has been speculation as to whether the Queen Consort Camilla will indeed be wearing this controversial diamond in the crown. It has since been confirmed that she will not. She will wear Queen Mary’s Crown but the diamond will be replaced.
‘Queen Mary’s Crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London for modification work ahead of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort on Saturday, 6th May 2023. Queen Mary’s Crown will be used for the Coronation of The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey’. (Royal UK)
The announcement was made that:
“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.” (Royal UK)
The royal family announced that Queen Mary’s crown, which held a replica of the Kohinoor diamond, would be reset without the stone ahead of the coronation of King Charles III.
The crown will instead include the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The stones, mined from South Africa, were part of her personal jewelry collection as brooches, but they are not without controversy either: Historians point out though they were gifted to King Edward VII, the nearly flawless diamonds are still artefacts of British imperialism. (Brahmjot Kaur)
Some see the gesture of not using the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the coronation as a positive step and others have called it an empty gesture. Especially as it is being replaced with yet more controversial diamonds.
‘The #Kohinoor diamond from India is deemed too 'controversial' for Charles Windsor's wife Camilla to wear at the coronation. But the equally controversial Cullinan diamond (the #StarOfAfrica) - a symbol of empire - will be used. Campaign to Abolish the Monarchy)
“It does feels like a big shift that the #Kohinoor is not going to be used in the #coronation. But when is the myth that the diamond was ‘reputedly gifted’ going to stop being peddled?” reads one tweet. An op-ed in The Indian Express called Camilla’s decision a “distraction” from the bigger issue of how colonialism robbed the Global South. (Dr Priya Atwal - tweet)
It remains to be seen if King Charles, the monarch that tradition dictates is ‘God’s representative on earth’, will eventually be an ally to India and return the ‘Mountain of Light’ that many allege was stolen. The fact that it will not be used for the Queen Consort in the coronation on May 6th 2023 as recognition of the diplomatic sensitivities. For now, it remains in the Queen’s crown, on display in the Tower of London.
The last sighting of this diamond in public was in 2002 on the Queen Mother’s coffin at her funeral.