Hello everybody, welcome to Dan Snow's History. The coronation is coming up and there is controversy

not about what is in the service, what's been left out. The Koei-Nor diamond, mountain of light in Persian,

is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, over a hundred carrots. And it was, for the last

while over a hundred years, part of the crown jewels of the United Kingdom. It's one of the most famous stones in the world

that was was, right, from its beginning it was owned by various rulers on the Indian subcontinent, then in Iran,

and Afghanistan. And it passed to the British as they expanded their domination of India. Queen Victoria was made,

Empress of India, but she was a slightly reluctant one. She wrote to her eldest daughter Victoria, the mother of

Kaiser Wilhelm, and she said in the 1870s, no one feels more strongly than I do about India, or how much I opposed

are taking those countries, and I think no more will be taken. For it's very wrong and no advantage to us,

you know how much I dislike wearing the Koei-Nor. Well, she was suddenly wrong about no more territory being taken in the subcontinent,

the British Empire in Asia expanded into place like Burma after she said that. But she was ahead of her time in realising that the Koei-Nor

itself would attract great controversy. Today, various groups in India and further afield ask for the diamond back regularly.

It was at the time and it still is, I suppose, a symbol of Britain's violent seizure of a vast empire in India.

It's been worn by the sovereign's consort in coronations since the early 20th century, but Camilla will not be wearing it.

It's been left in the safe. It seems that this event is already controversial enough without busting out the Koei-Nor, who can blame King Charles.

In this episode of the podcast, I've got Shrubani Basu. She's a journalist, she's a best-selling author, she's been on the podcast before,

she talked about her book for King and another country, Indian soldiers on the Western Front, 1914 to 18.

She's a great commentator on Indian history and the British Empire in India. It's great to have Shrubani back on the podcast.

Here are thoughts about the Koei-Nor. Enjoy.

It's a quite unity, till there is first and blank unity. Never to go to war with one another again.

And look off, and then subtle has cleared the power.

Shrubani, thank you very much for coming back on the pod.

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