Zohran Mamdani said he would not meet with UK monarch, noting 106-carat Indian diamond claimed by crown in 1849
In a way, it must be tough being king. One day, you’re lauded by the US president, applauded by Congress and served spring-herbed ravioli and parmesan emulsion on a golden plate.
The next, you’re essentially snubbed by the mayor of New York City, who makes it clear that a) he does not want to meet you, and b) you should return a diamond that your ancestors took from a 10-year-old Indian boy.
That’s the situation King Charles III faced in the US’s largest city on Wednesday, as the monarch arrived to attend a wreath-laying ceremony to honor 9/11 victims. The trip came a day after Charles received plaudits for his turn in Washington DC, his easy rapport with Donald Trump and well-pitched speech to Congress seen as a step towards repairing the UK-US relationship.
But while Charles may have charmed the prestige-loving Trump, gifts of gold and wisecracks about the Boston Tea Party were never likely to appeal to Zohran Mamdani, New York’s democratic socialist mayor who was elected on a promise to rein in elites, and whose father is one of the world’s experts on the effects of colonialism.
