The British Royal Family is one of the richest Royal Families in the world. The stories of their conquests and wealth are still talked about in academic history lessons. Amidst this, one of the most famous stories is how they acquired the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
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Sitting pretty in the Tower of London is the Koh-i-Noor diamond that now belongs to King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. Within the British Empire, the diamond stone has been owned and worn by many Royals.
Is the Koh-i-Noor diamond owned by the British Royalty cursed?
However, it is understood that the one-of-a-kind diamond is both lucky and unlucky. Legend has it, only women or God can wear it for a bloody fate befalls men who do. Most times not much attention is paid to such folklore, but recent events have put the spotlight on it yet again.
According to The Times of India, not just the Britishers but the Koh-i-noor has given a brutal fate to all of its male owners. Some lost their lives and others lost their power. From the time the stone was discovered to all the Royals around the world who fought wars to own the diamond, the male owners of the stone were never able to fully enjoy its glory.
The British Empire was gifted the stone by The East India Company for Queen Victoria when she was just nine years old, reports Express. After Queen Victoria, the diamond was owned by King Edward VII who never wore the crown and his reign only lasted 325 days, according to the Royal Website. Edward VII abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson and became the only British sovereign to voluntarily resign the crown.
The throne then went to Edward VII’s younger brother - Albert who used his last name George and became King George VI. While he may have become the king accidentally, his reign lasted for less than two decades (1936-1952) as he lost his life in a lung cancer battle. Meanwhile, his daughter Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch as the owner of the stone.
Historically, one of the world’s largest diamonds has been ill-fated for the male owners.
Koh-i-noor - the origin of the infamous diamond
The diamond in question is no ordinary diamond. Koh-i-noor is worth £500 million and weighs a staggering 105.6 carats, approximately 20 grams. In 1850, the huge jewel travelled more than 4,000 miles and was ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria - however, many claim that the diamond may have been ‘stolen.’
It is claimed that the young ruler who signed the Treaty of Lahore (the treaty which also changed the ownership of the jewel) was imprisoned and forced to sign the treaty. On receiving the jewel, Queen Victoria said:
They delivered up to me with a short speech, the celebrated Koh-i-Noor, the largest diamond in the world… Unfortunately, it is not set ‘à jour’ (a term used in gem setting to describe an open-backed look that keeps the stone open 'to the day'), badly cut, which spoils the effect.
The late Queen eventually had the diamond cut by Garrard & Co. and wore it as a brooch.
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Sources Used
The Times Of India: The curse of Kohinoor: How the diamond affects its male owners
The Express: The ‘painful’ history of 'cursed' Koh-i-Noor diamond snubbed by Camilla for coronation
