Kohinoor Diamond Mystery: Rightful Ownership in Question

Many in India have claimed–even before the birth of the Indian nation in 1947–that the British monarch absconded with the Kohinoor Diamond, an immensely valuable component of the Crown Jewel collection. In addition, the death of Queen Elizabeth II last fall was taken as an opportunity to reignite the demand for the royal family to bring the stolen jewel back to their country, as reported by France 24 in Truth or Fake broadcast.
Upon the signing of the Treaty of Lahore in 1846, the diamond was acquired by Queen Victoria, who purchased the gem in 1849 after the Second Anglo-Sikh War and officially assumed power over the territory in 1858, absorbing the mandate of the British East India Company and the Punjab territory, thus ushering in the Raj period of British rule.
In 1947, Britain ceded independence in the partition of the territory in the creation of a primarily Hindu (India) nation and a majority Muslim (Pakistan) state. Since that time, both nations—and Afghanistan, actually—have laid claim to the diamond.
The jewel is one of the world’s largest and most expensive diamonds, weighing in at an astonishing 109 carats and valued at about 400 million (US) dollars.
Over the course of many centuries, the Kohinoor has had a long and illustrious history. While one account from the time of Mughal Emperor Babur indicated that Allauddin Khilji seized it from the Indians in the 14th century, it is actually thought to have been mined in what is now the state of Andhra Pradesh.
The diamond underwent a significant recutting under the British Raj since the original Kohinoor failed to impress observers in London, thus providing its distinctive shape that is well-known to everyone today.
In this vein, Britain decided not to use the diamond during the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, as the King’s wife (Camilla Parker Bowles) alternatively chose the Queen Marry Crown, a replica of the original Kohinoor.
It has also been alleged that Queen Elizabeth II was also in possession of another stolen diamond from Africa–the “Great Star of Africa”–which is the largest diamond in the world in the imperial scepter at 530 carats estimated at 400 million (US) dollars.
As all eyes were turned towards the extravagant crowning ceremony that made the news, a large group of Britons were crowding the streets for a whole different reason. According to Al Jazeera, a growing number of UK residents called for the abolishment of the monarchy the day King Charles III prepared for his coronation. London Police services said they arrested 52 anti-monarchy demonstrators.
The British government continues to fund the royal family with an annual (taxpayer-funded) subsidy of 108 million (US) dollars, even though it plays a mere ceremonial role in British politics.
For some in the UK, the spectacle of a grand coronation reminds them of the differences between the lives of royalty and regular citizens.
People located in London and Scotland are less likely to be favorable to the monarchy, as those in the middle-income groups are more favorable toward a republic, reported local media outlets.
Regardless of opinions about the monarchy; however, the UK is highly unlikely to return the Kohinoor to its original owners anytime soon, as one British official recently indicated that if it acquiesces on this particular stone, it becomes a slippery slope whereby claims to all valuables in question currently within the Crown Jewel collection become dispersed to their innumerable respective claimants, thus liquidating the entire assemblage.