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BBC Pidgin of Friday, 5 May 2023

Source: BBC

Dem no go use controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond for King Charles coronation

Koh-i-Noor diamond Koh-i-Noor diamond

Buckingham Palace don tok say dem no go use controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond for King Charles coronation.

Instead dem go crown Camilla, di Queen Consort, wit Queen Mary's Crown, wey dem don take out of di Tower of London to resize am for di 6 May coronation.

Belief dey say dis na di first time in "recent history" say dem go "recycle" existing crown for coronation.

Dem go also add diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II jewellery.

Dem go crown Camilla alongside di King for Westminster Abbey.

Ownership of di Koh-i-Noor, one of di largest cut diamonds for di world, na subject of dispute, and concerns dey about one diplomatic row wit India if e don dey used.

India don make several claims say na dem be di rightful owner of di diamond, wey di Palace use for di coronation of di Queen Mother.

Instead, Buckingham Palace tok say dem go crown Camilla wit Queen Mary's crown - and claim say dem dey re-use am for di "interests of sustainability and efficiency".

For one tribute to di late Queen Elizabeth II, di crown go dey reset wit diamonds from her personal jewellery collection, using diamonds known as Cullinan III, IV and V.

Di late Queen wear dis diamonds as brooches and dem take dem from di Cullinan diamond, wey dem discover for South Africa.

King Charles III go wear di St Edward's Crown, wey dey regarded as di centrepiece of di Crown Jewels. E don dey on display again for di Tower of London afta dem modify am to fit di monarch.

Dem first make am for King Charles II for 1661 as replacement for one earlier crown wey dem destroy afta di English Civil War.

Di late Queen Elizabeth II also use di St Edward's Crown during her coronation but oda monarchs through history bin opt for smaller or custom-made crowns.

Controversy

Although no be di largest or most flawless diamonds for di world, di Koh-i-Noor's history don mark am out as one of di most controversial.

Competing theories and myths about di origins of di stone stretch ova many years but historians agree say one Iranian ruler Nader Shah take am from India for 1739.

Through plunder and conquest e change hands several times before dem sign am ova to one British govnor-general for 1849 afta di annexation of di Punjab.

Di circumstances in which dem sign am ova to di East India Company - wey bin conquer broad areas of di Indian subcontinent - by one defeated boy king dey disputed.

E get repute as "gift" but Anita Anand, one BBC journalist wey don co-author one book on di Koh-i-Noor, tok: "I no know of many gifts wey dey handed ova at di point of one bayonet."

Prince Albert say make dem recut am for di 1850s to make am shine brighter and dem set am in one brooch for Queen Victoria. Dem eventually incorporate am into di Crown Jewels.

Some pipo for Pakistan and Afghanistan don also make claim say na dem be di rightful owner of di diamond.