{"id":32488,"date":"2026-09-18T08:13:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T08:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=32488"},"modified":"2026-09-18T08:17:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T08:17:18","slug":"kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2026, the Kohinoor was back in the headlines for a reason nobody predicted. New York City&#8217;s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, told reporters that if he got a private word with King Charles III, he would ask him to return the diamond to India. The comment, made just before a short, formal meeting between the two men in New York, wasn&#8217;t part of any government agenda. It didn&#8217;t need to be. Within hours, &#8220;Kohinoor&#8221; was trending across Indian social media again, the way it does every few years whenever a member of the royal family, or someone standing near one, says something that touches this particular nerve.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#A_Quick_Recap_Why_the_Kohinoor_Is_Still_a_Sore_Point\" >A Quick Recap: Why the Kohinoor Is Still a Sore Point<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#The_Kohinoor_Has_More_Than_One_Claimant\" >The Kohinoor Has More Than One Claimant<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#So_Whats_Actually_Happening_With_the_UK_Right_Now\" >So What&#8217;s Actually Happening With the UK Right Now?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Scotlands_Independence_Question\" >Scotland&#8217;s Independence Question<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Northern_Ireland_And_The_Question_Of_Irish_Unification\" >Northern Ireland And The Question Of Irish Unification<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Wales_And_The_Rise_Of_Plaid_Cymru\" >Wales And The Rise Of Plaid Cymru<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Does_A_Weaker_UK_Create_A_Path_For_The_Kohinoor\" >Does A Weaker UK Create A Path For The Kohinoor?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Heres_the_Part_That_Actually_Answers_the_Question\" >Here&#8217;s the Part That Actually Answers the Question<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Why_the_Crown_Jewels_Would_Not_Be_Divided\" >Why the Crown Jewels Would Not Be Divided<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Where_the_Real_Leverage_Might_Actually_Come_From\" >Where the Real Leverage Might Actually Come From<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#Colonial-Era_Objects_And_Changing_Global_Attitudes\" >Colonial-Era Objects And Changing Global Attitudes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#The_Bottom_Line\" >The Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, a completely different story has been playing out in Britain: the country&#8217;s constitutional map looks shakier than it has in over a decade. Scotland&#8217;s government is openly pushing for a second independence vote. Support for Irish unification in Northern Ireland keeps landing close to 50-50 in opinion polls. And in Wales, a party that exists to campaign for Welsh independence just became the largest party in the country&#8217;s parliament for the first time ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put those two threads together and you get a question that&#8217;s been doing the rounds in Indian WhatsApp groups and comment sections: if the United Kingdom actually starts coming apart, does that open a door for India to finally get the Kohinoor back?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s a fun question to sit with. The honest answer is more complicated, and less dramatic, than it sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-a-quick-recap-why-the-kohinoor-is-still-a-sore-point\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Quick_Recap_Why_the_Kohinoor_Is_Still_a_Sore_Point\"><\/span>A Quick Recap: Why the Kohinoor Is Still a Sore Point<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The diamond was mined near Golconda in what&#8217;s now Andhra Pradesh, sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries, and passed through Mughal, Persian, Afghan and Sikh hands over the following five hundred years. It ended up with Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, and after his death, with his young son and successor, Duleep Singh. In 1849, following the British annexation of Punjab, the diamond was handed to the East India Company as part of the Treaty of Lahore and sent to Queen Victoria. Duleep Singh, a child at the time, signed off on the transfer as part of the terms imposed on his defeated kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has stayed in Britain ever since, cut down from its original size, reset several times, and eventually placed in the crown made for the Queen Mother, which last appeared in public on her coffin in 2002. It sits today with the rest of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India first asked for it back the year the country became independent, in 1947. It asked again in 1953, around the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The Archaeological Survey of India raised it once more in 2010, timed to a British prime ministerial visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every time, London&#8217;s answer has been roughly the same: the diamond was acquired through a legal treaty, not stolen, and there&#8217;s no obligation to hand it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curiously, when the Indian government itself was asked about this in the Supreme Court a few years ago, its own submission agreed that the stone had been &#8220;surrendered&#8221; through the Treaty of Lahore rather than seized by force \u2014 which undercuts the simplest version of the &#8220;stolen&#8221; argument, even as most Indians still feel, understandably, that a treaty signed by a child ruler under military defeat isn&#8217;t much of a treaty at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-kohinoor-has-more-than-one-claimant\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Kohinoor_Has_More_Than_One_Claimant\"><\/span>The Kohinoor Has More Than One Claimant<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s also a complication that rarely makes it into the WhatsApp forwards: India isn&#8217;t the only claimant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pakistan has argued the diamond belongs to it, since Ranjit Singh&#8217;s empire was based in Lahore. Afghanistan and Iran have both staked claims too, pointing to the stone&#8217;s earlier passage through Persian and Afghan hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So even in a world where Britain agreed tomorrow to give it up, &#8220;give it to India&#8221; isn&#8217;t the only outcome on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-so-what-s-actually-happening-with-the-uk-right-now\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_Whats_Actually_Happening_With_the_UK_Right_Now\"><\/span>So What&#8217;s Actually Happening With the UK Right Now?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This part is real, and it&#8217;s worth understanding properly before connecting it to anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-scotland-s-independence-question\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scotlands_Independence_Question\"><\/span>Scotland&#8217;s Independence Question<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scotland held its last independence referendum in September 2014 and voted No, 55% to 45%. Support has hovered close to that line ever since \u2014 recent 2026 polling puts it somewhere between 44% and 50%, depending on the survey and how the question is phrased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May 2026, the Scottish National Party won its fifth consecutive election to the Scottish Parliament under First Minister John Swinney, though it fell short of a majority and now governs alongside the Scottish Greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of its first acts was a parliamentary vote calling on the UK government to grant a Section 30 order, the legal mechanism that would let Scotland hold a binding second referendum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Westminster has refused. A 2022 UK Supreme Court ruling already settled the legal question: Scotland cannot legislate for a referendum on its own, no matter how many seats pro-independence parties hold at Holyrood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Burnham, who became prime minister in July 2026 after Keir Starmer&#8217;s resignation, has kept his predecessor&#8217;s position that a Section 30 order isn&#8217;t happening in this parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-northern-ireland-and-the-question-of-irish-unification\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Northern_Ireland_And_The_Question_Of_Irish_Unification\"><\/span>Northern Ireland And The Question Of Irish Unification<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Northern Ireland works differently. Under the Good Friday Agreement, a &#8220;border poll&#8221; on unifying with the Republic of Ireland can only be called by the UK&#8217;s Northern Ireland Secretary, and only once they judge that a majority would likely vote for it \u2014 a judgement based on polling, with no fixed, published threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Various surveys over the past couple of years have shown support for unification sitting anywhere from the mid-40s to just past 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August 2026, Burnham used his first official visit to Belfast to rule out a referendum altogether, calling it &#8220;off the table&#8221; and asking the region&#8217;s politicians to focus on economic issues instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-wales-and-the-rise-of-plaid-cymru\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wales_And_The_Rise_Of_Plaid_Cymru\"><\/span>Wales And The Rise Of Plaid Cymru<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wales is the quietest of the three, but the ground shifted here too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the May 2026 Senedd election, Plaid Cymru \u2014 the party built around Welsh independence \u2014 won the most seats for the first time since devolution began, ending Labour&#8217;s 25-year run in charge of Cardiff Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, independence itself still polls as a minority position in Wales, generally in the 25-35% range, well behind where Scotland sits, so a referendum isn&#8217;t imminent there either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-does-a-weaker-uk-create-a-path-for-the-kohinoor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_A_Weaker_UK_Create_A_Path_For_The_Kohinoor\"><\/span>Does A Weaker UK Create A Path For The Kohinoor?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of this means the UK is about to break apart next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every one of these processes is blocked by the same wall: Westminster&#8217;s consent, which the current government isn&#8217;t giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it&#8217;s also not nothing. The constitutional pressure is higher than it&#8217;s been in a decade, and it&#8217;s a live, ongoing story rather than a settled one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-here-s-the-part-that-actually-answers-the-question\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_the_Part_That_Actually_Answers_the_Question\"><\/span>Here&#8217;s the Part That Actually Answers the Question<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if Scotland voted Yes tomorrow, or Northern Ireland backed unification, or Wales somehow caught up \u2014 none of that would automatically put the Kohinoor on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reason is fairly dry, but it matters: the Crown Jewels aren&#8217;t treated as a divisible national asset the way, say, government debt or overseas embassies might be during a break-up negotiation. They&#8217;re the property of the Crown itself \u2014 held by whoever sits on the throne of the continuing UK state, for use at coronations and state occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scotland already has its own separate set of royal regalia, the Honours of Scotland, kept at Edinburgh Castle and used for entirely different ceremonies; nobody is proposing to merge or split the two collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Scotland left the union, the Tower of London collection, Kohinoor included, would stay exactly where it is, with whatever&#8217;s left of the UK. The same logic applies to Northern Ireland or Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-why-the-crown-jewels-would-not-be-divided\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_Crown_Jewels_Would_Not_Be_Divided\"><\/span>Why the Crown Jewels Would Not Be Divided<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Issue<\/th><th>Position Explained in the Article<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Crown Jewels<\/td><td>They&#8217;re the property of the Crown itself.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scotland&#8217;s Regalia<\/td><td>The Honours of Scotland are a separate collection kept at Edinburgh Castle.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scottish Independence<\/td><td>The Tower of London collection, including the Kohinoor, would stay with whatever&#8217;s left of the UK.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Northern Ireland or Wales<\/td><td>The same logic applies.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A divorce settlement over pensions, defence assets, or North Sea oil is one thing. Nobody has ever seriously argued the Crown Jewels get split up in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the legal pathway that a breakup might theoretically open simply doesn&#8217;t exist here. There&#8217;s no clause, treaty, or precedent under which Scottish or Irish independence hands India, or anyone else, a claim over a diamond that was never part of Scottish or Irish sovereign property to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-where-the-real-leverage-might-actually-come-from\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_the_Real_Leverage_Might_Actually_Come_From\"><\/span>Where the Real Leverage Might Actually Come From<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of this means the diamond is staying in London forever, or that the current wave of attention is pointless. It just means the mechanism isn&#8217;t a UK break-up \u2014 it&#8217;s reputation and politics, working much more slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s a broader global mood shift on colonial-era objects that&#8217;s hard to ignore. Germany returned looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022. The debate over Greece&#8217;s Parthenon Marbles has kept resurfacing in British politics for years, with polling showing a majority of British adults now favour returning them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Against that backdrop, a high-profile figure like Mamdani raising the Kohinoor question in front of the King, even informally, adds a bit more weight to a demand that&#8217;s existed for eight decades but never had much diplomatic force behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-colonial-era-objects-and-changing-global-attitudes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Colonial-Era_Objects_And_Changing_Global_Attitudes\"><\/span>Colonial-Era Objects And Changing Global Attitudes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Germany returned looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The debate over Greece&#8217;s Parthenon Marbles has continued to resurface in British politics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Polling has shown a majority of British adults favour returning the Parthenon Marbles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Kohinoor question has existed for eight decades but has historically had limited diplomatic force behind it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A UK distracted and diminished by its own internal politics \u2014 juggling a possible Scottish referendum fight, a Northern Ireland question it&#8217;s trying to bury, and a historic nationalist win in Wales \u2014 is also a UK with less global standing to spend defending unpopular colonial-era positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s a real dynamic worth watching. It&#8217;s just an indirect, political kind of pressure, not a legal opening created by the union splitting apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-bottom-line\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Bottom_Line\"><\/span>The Bottom Line<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the UK does fracture in the coming years, it won&#8217;t hand India the Kohinoor as some kind of side effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That idea, however satisfying it sounds, doesn&#8217;t hold up against how the Crown Jewels are actually owned and governed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What could genuinely move the needle is the same thing that&#8217;s always mattered here: sustained diplomatic pressure, shifting British public opinion, and the monarchy deciding a symbolic gesture is worth more to it than a diamond currently valued in a museum case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scotland&#8217;s referendum fight is worth following in its own right. Just don&#8217;t expect it to double as the Kohinoor&#8217;s ticket home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links yoast-seo-related-links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/uk-supreme-court-decision-woman-means-biological-sex-under-the-equality-act\/\">UK Supreme Court Decision: Woman Means Biological Sex under the Equality Act<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/friends-of-the-irish-environment-v-government-of-ireland-2020-climate-litigation\/\">Friends Of The Irish Environment vs Ireland (2020): (A Landmark Climate Litigation Case and Its Impact on Environmental Constitutionalism<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/unlocking-global-markets-export-of-gems-and-jewellery-from-india-explained\/\">Unlocking Global Markets: Export of Gems and Jewellery from India Explained<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/trans-boarder-reputation-and-principle-of-territoriality\/\">Trans-Boarder Reputation and Principle of Territoriality<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/dillon-mcevoy-hughes-mcmanus-2026-uksc-15-windsor-framework\/\">Dillon, McEvoy, Hughes &amp; McManus [2026] UKSC 15: Windsor Framework &amp; Northern Ireland Legacy Act<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In April 2026, the Kohinoor was back in the headlines for a reason nobody predicted. New York City&#8217;s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, told reporters that if he got a private word with King Charles III, he would ask him to return the diamond to India. The comment, made just before a short, formal meeting between the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":869,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[5591],"class_list":["post-32488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-example-1","tag-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.4 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back? - Legal Service India - Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Could a UK breakup help India reclaim the Kohinoor? Explore the legal status of the Crown Jewels and the real path to its return.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Could a UK breakup help India reclaim the Kohinoor? Explore the legal status of the Crown Jewels and the real path to its return.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Legal Service India - Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-18T08:13:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-18T08:17:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"counvo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@legalserviceind\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@legalserviceind\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"counvo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"counvo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1fcee7e21da2eb429b3061041d2e1ef5\"},\"headline\":\"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-18T08:13:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-18T08:17:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1884,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Politics\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Politics\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back? - Legal Service India - Articles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-18T08:13:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-18T08:17:18+00:00\",\"description\":\"Could a UK breakup help India reclaim the Kohinoor? Explore the legal status of the Crown Jewels and the real path to its return.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Politics > UK Breakup and the Kohinoor: Could India Finally Reclaim the Diamond?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Legal Service India - Law Articles\",\"description\":\"Legal Service India - Law Article Directory is the oldest in India since 2000, with thousands of article written by lawyers, law Students and Scholars on all branches of law\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Legal Service India\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/logo-circle-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/logo-circle-1.png\",\"width\":105,\"height\":95,\"caption\":\"Legal Service India\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/legalservicesind\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/legalserviceind\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@LegalServiceIndia-lsi\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1fcee7e21da2eb429b3061041d2e1ef5\",\"name\":\"counvo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"\\\/\\\/www.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9920ca0165e3893942388923b8291f13?s=96&#038;r=g&#038;d=mm\",\"url\":\"\\\/\\\/www.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9920ca0165e3893942388923b8291f13?s=96&#038;r=g&#038;d=mm\",\"contentUrl\":\"\\\/\\\/www.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9920ca0165e3893942388923b8291f13?s=96&#038;r=g&#038;d=mm\",\"caption\":\"counvo\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/author\\\/counvo\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back? - Legal Service India - Articles","description":"Could a UK breakup help India reclaim the Kohinoor? Explore the legal status of the Crown Jewels and the real path to its return.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back?","og_description":"Could a UK breakup help India reclaim the Kohinoor? Explore the legal status of the Crown Jewels and the real path to its return.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/","og_site_name":"Legal Service India - Articles","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind","article_published_time":"2026-09-18T08:13:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-18T08:17:18+00:00","author":"counvo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@legalserviceind","twitter_site":"@legalserviceind","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"counvo","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/"},"author":{"name":"counvo","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/person\/1fcee7e21da2eb429b3061041d2e1ef5"},"headline":"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back?","datePublished":"2026-09-18T08:13:53+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-18T08:17:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/"},"wordCount":1884,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#organization"},"keywords":["Politics"],"articleSection":["Politics"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/","name":"Kohinoor Diamond: Could a UK Breakup Finally Open the Door for India to Get It Back? - Legal Service India - Articles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-09-18T08:13:53+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-18T08:17:18+00:00","description":"Could a UK breakup help India reclaim the Kohinoor? Explore the legal status of the Crown Jewels and the real path to its return.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/kohinoor-diamond-could-a-uk-breakup-finally-open-the-door-for-india-to-get-it-back\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Politics > UK Breakup and the Kohinoor: Could India Finally Reclaim the Diamond?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/","name":"Legal Service India - Law Articles","description":"Legal Service India - Law Article Directory is the oldest in India since 2000, with thousands of article written by lawyers, law Students and Scholars on all branches of law","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#organization","name":"Legal Service India","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/logo-circle-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/logo-circle-1.png","width":105,"height":95,"caption":"Legal Service India"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind","https:\/\/x.com\/legalserviceind","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LegalServiceIndia-lsi"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/person\/1fcee7e21da2eb429b3061041d2e1ef5","name":"counvo","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9920ca0165e3893942388923b8291f13?s=96&#038;r=g&#038;d=mm","url":"\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9920ca0165e3893942388923b8291f13?s=96&#038;r=g&#038;d=mm","contentUrl":"\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9920ca0165e3893942388923b8291f13?s=96&#038;r=g&#038;d=mm","caption":"counvo"},"url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/author\/counvo\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32488"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32572,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32488\/revisions\/32572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}