King Charles and Queen Camilla’s flaunting of opulent wealth during their coronation has left a sour taste in the mouth of many royal fans around the world.
And to add insult to injury, the Royal Family’s collection of Crown Jewels contains two controversial gems, the Cullinan and Kohinoor diamonds, from South Africa and India, respectively.
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ZWELINZIMA VAVI MOCKS CORONATION CARRIAGE
Like many South Africans, Zwelinzima Vavi expressed his annoyance at seeing the Royal Family boast about their riches.
The former general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) tweeted of the gold carriage that carried King Charles and Queen Camilla: “Gold from Africa on full display today.”
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According to the Royal Collection Trust, the State Coach is not made of solid gold but rather a thin layer of gold leaf over wood.
The coach was built in 1762 and has been used to transport kings and queens in royal coronations, jubilees, and other notable events. Earlier this week, the palace announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla embark on a second “modernised” elaborate carriage – the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
Image via Twitter: @royalfamily
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CULLINAN DIAMOND CROWNS IRK SOUTH AFRICANS
Meanwhile, both King Charles’s Imperial State Crown and Queen Camilla’s crown have been a sore point on social media.
At the royal coronation on Saturday, 6 May, Camilla was officially crowned Queen of England. To mark the occasion, the 75-year-old was given the elaborate crown adorned with royal jewels.
According to MailOnline, the crown first belonged to Queen Mary but was resized for Camilla for the coronation service. The crown was also fitted with several Cullinan gems, discovered in South Africa on the Cullinan family mine in 1905.
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Other parts of the group of stones were fitted into the royal sceptre and the King’s Imperial State Crown, which he was seen wearing at the coronation.
Queen Mary’s crown was initially made had another controversial gem – the Kohinoor, discovered in India.
Both the Cullinan and Kohinoor – part of the Royal Family’s Crown Jewels – have been a source of much resentment by critics towards the Royal Family
The monarchy has also faced growing calls to repatriate the jewels – a move unlikely to happen.
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“Return the stolen Cullinan Diamond to South Africa. Shame on Camilla for wearing the Royal loot!” posted one Twitter critic.
Here’s what others had to say:
Return the stolen “Cullinan Diamond” back to South Africa. Shame on Camilla for wearing the Royal loot! pic.twitter.com/SbjYyKSFIf
— Kate and Will’s biggest fan (@davecameroon) May 6, 2023
