During a visit to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were welcomed by former mayor Michael Bloomberg and current mayor Zohran Mamdani. Although Mamdani briefly greeted the king publicly, he declined any private meeting.
A spokesperson later confirmed that Mamdani chose not to meet privately with Charles but still attended the wreath-laying ceremony. Mamdani explained that, in a one-on-one conversation, he would have raised the issue of returning the Koh-i-Noor diamond—an artifact long disputed due to its colonial-era transfer to Britain.
The diamond, now part of the British Crown Jewels, has been criticized as having been taken unjustly from a young Indian ruler during British rule. Buckingham Palace did not comment on the matter.
Mamdani’s decision drew criticism from the New York Post’s editorial board, which accused him of prioritizing personal views over his official responsibilities, describing his actions as immature and performative.