King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Wednesday. They were greeted by former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the current mayor, Zohran Mamdani. However, Mamdani stated that he refused to meet King Charles in private and that it was for one very sensitive reason.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s 4-day state visit to the U.S continued on Wednesday as they touched down in New York City. Previously, they spent two days in Washington, D.C., where they spent time with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
One scheduled outing in NYC was a visit to the 9/11 Memorial. They were welcomed by former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is also the chairman of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and Beth Hillman, its president and CEO, who gave them a tour of the site.
Another person who was there to welcome the royal couple was the current NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He was pictured shaking King Charles’ hand as they shared a few words, and was seen laughing during a short conversation.
However, this would be the only time that Mamdani would meet King Charles during the royal’s U.S. trip. Why? The mayor refused to meet the king in private.
Zohran Mamdani made it clear he wanted to distance himself from King Charles after he didn’t join him and Queen Camilla on the tour of the memorial site. On Wednesday morning, Joe Calvello, the mayor’s press secretary, said in a statement, “The mayor will not meet privately with King Charles. But the mayor will be at the wreath-laying ceremony today.”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ‘rude’ gesture to King Charles
While King Charles might not be used to being treated that way, Mamdani’s refusal has one main reason. Mamdani was questioned on whether they would have a private audience, to which he responded, “If I was to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”
The stunning 106-carat diamond, known as the Koh-i-Noor, is set in the crown once worn by the Queen Mother. It was handed over to Queen Victoria in 1849 and has sparked controversy, and questions about who truly owns it have never gone away.
Critics claim the incredible piece of jewelry — said to be as large as a hen’s egg — was unfairly taken from Duleep Singh, a 10-year-old maharajah whose kingdom was seized by the British. The Guardian asked Buckingham Palace for a comment, but the palace declined to say whether it would return the diamond.
The fact that Zorhan Mamdani acted the way he did did not impress the Editorial Board at the NY Post. The newspaper, which has been hugely critical of Mamdani through his campaign and the beginning of his mayoral term, wrote, “Mamdani’s inexperience is no excuse for letting his personal passions blind him to the duties of his high office; it’s his addiction to performative displays that makes him such a clown.”
They added, “At best, his youth means there’s a chance he’ll learn from his graceless mistakes, and do a bit better the next time he’s called to represent all the people of New York City.”
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