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 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 arrived in New York City. Previously, they spent two days in Washington, D.C., where they met with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
One scheduled engagement in NYC was a visit to the 9/11 Memorial. They were welcomed by former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is also chairman of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and Beth Hillman, its president and CEO, who gave them a tour of the site.
Another figure present to welcome the royal couple was current NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He was pictured shaking King Charles’ hand as they exchanged a few words, and was seen laughing during a brief conversation.
However, this would be the only time Mamdani met King Charles during the royal’s U.S. trip. Why? The mayor declined to meet the King in private.
Zohran Mamdani made it clear he wanted to distance himself from King Charles after he did not join him and Queen Camilla for the memorial tour. 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 may not be used to being treated this way, Mamdani’s refusal had one main reason. When asked whether he would hold a private audience, Mamdani 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 106-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond is set in the crown once worn by the Queen Mother. It was handed to Queen Victoria in 1849 and has long been surrounded by controversy, with ongoing debate about its rightful ownership. Critics say the jewel — said to be as large as a hen’s egg — was taken from Duleep Singh, a 10-year-old maharajah whose kingdom was seized by the British. The Guardian asked Buckingham Palace for comment, but the palace declined to say whether it would return the diamond.
The way Zohran Mamdani handled the situation did not sit well with the New York Post editorial board. The newspaper, which has been highly critical of Mamdani throughout his campaign and early 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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