NEW YORK, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is facing criticism for his “rude” welcome to King Charles III and for failing to “put aside his obsession with colonialism” when calling for the return of the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Just hours before meeting King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan on Wednesday, Mamdani said he would encourage the British monarch to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Asked at a news conference what he would say when he sees the king at the World Trade Center Memorial, Mamdani said he would join a number of other elected officials at the wreath-laying event, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mickey Sherrill.
“The purpose of laying the wreath is to commemorate the more than 3,000 New Yorkers who lost their lives in the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11. That’s what I really wanted to do with this event.”
When pressed further on what he would say to the British monarch, Mamdani said: “If I were to speak to the king alone, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”
The New York Post editorial board harshly criticized Mamdani for his “rude” welcome to King Charles.
“Of course, Zoran Mamdani was unable to gracefully welcome the King of England: that requires maturity, grace and humility, which our mayor does not have,” the editorial said.
“Mamdani provided the bare minimum” to welcome King Charles III to New York when the monarchs visited New York on Wednesday, the report said, adding that the mayor “belatedly” agreed to “a brief meeting with the monarch at the 9/11 Memorial – even though the royal family visited multiple locations around town.”
“To show respect for the king is to show respect for Britain, but Mamdani could not resist showing disrespect,” the editorial said, citing previous occasions when members of the British royal family had been warmly welcomed by New York City mayors, including the 1957 “Tape Parade” organized by then-mayor Robert Wagner to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s arrival in New York.
“But Mamdani is unwilling to make any such move; he cannot even put aside his obsession with colonialism, telling reporters that he wants to push Charles to ‘return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond,’ the 105-carat gem originally from India and now on display in the Tower of London,” the editorial said.
“Mamdani’s inexperience does not excuse his personal enthusiasm for neglecting the responsibilities of his senior position,” the editorial said, noting that he was “obsessed with showmanship.”
“At best, his youth means he has a chance to learn from his disrespectful mistakes and do a little better the next time he is asked to represent all of New York City,” the editorial added.
Another New York Post article said Mamdani behaved “like a grumpy teenager” in front of the king and queen.
Regarding Mamdani’s comments on the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the article stated that the king wanted to commemorate the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “This was not an opportunity to make a fresh barb at colonialism or to suggest that the crown jewel belongs to India.”
The New York Post article added: “What qualifies Mamdani to ask for the diamonds anyway — having appointed himself a representative of the Indian government? It’s not just the mayor’s rudeness, but his tone and demeanor. Mamdani perfectly embodies the character of a grumpy teenager who betrays unbearable boredom.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the city’s 9/11 memorial and paid their respects to the victims of the terror attack.
They also visited Harlem Grown, a network of urban farms that supports children and families in Upper Manhattan.
Mamdani met with King Charles at the 9/11 Memorial. Video of their interaction on social media showed the two briefly greeting each other as King Charles met with other New York officials, including Kocher.
A New York Post report quoted a City Hall spokesman as saying Mamdani and Charles “exchanged pleasantries” during their meeting at the 9/11 Memorial. Reports said Mamdani left the event an hour later.
In 1849, Maharaja Duleep Singh gave the 105.6-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond to Queen Victoria. In 1937, the Queen Mother put it on the crown.
India has previously stated that it will continue to explore ways to bring back the Koh-i-Noor from the UK.
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is currently on display in the Tower of London. The diamond, which is set in the Queen Mother’s tiara, “has had many previous owners, including Mughal emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan and Sikh Maharajas,” according to the Historic Royal Palaces charity.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
