Colonial-era file puts Indian jewels in UK's royal treasury under spotlight
2 min read . Updated: 08 Apr 2023, 12:06 AM IST
PremiumA colonial-era file unearthed from the the archives of the India Office was discovered recently. It sheds new light on various historical artifacts, including several precious jewels owned by King Charles III.
As the coronation of King Charles III nears, a colonial-era file has shed light on many Indian-origin precious gems and jewels that are now in the possession of the royal family. The revelation comes mere weeks after Queen Consort Camilla chose not to use the traditional crown adorned with the controversial Kohinoor diamond for her coronation with King Charles II on May 6.
The revelations surfaced as part of the The Guardian newspaper's ‘Cost of the crown’ series and references a “remarkable" 46-page file uncovered from the India Office archives that detail an investigation. It was apparently commissioned by Queen Mary – late Queen Elizabeth II's grandmother - into the imperial origins of her jewels.
The document references an emerald-encrusted gold girdle used to decorate the horses in the stables of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. The list of jewels also includes a “short necklace of four very large spinel rubies", the largest of which is a 325.5-carat spinel that later came to be identified as the Timur ruby.
As the Guardian investigation explains, these ‘priceless pieces’ had been “extracted from India as trophies of conquest and later given to Queen Victoria".
“He (Ranjit Singh) puts his very finest jewels on his horses, and the splendour of their harness and housings surpasses anything you can imagine. If ever we are allowed to plunder this kingdom, I shall go straight to their stables," wrote British society diarist Fanny Eden in a journal recording an 1837 tour of Punjab.
Later in the 19th century, Ranjit Singh’s son and heir was forced to sign Punjab over to the East India Company. According to historical records, the kingdom’s stables would have been among the many targets of plunder. The infamous Kohinoor diamond is also said to have come into the possession of Queen Victoria as a result of just such a plunder by East India Company officials.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace stated that King Charles III considers slavery and colonialism to be deeply important issues. The Palace is currently supporting an independent research project to investigate the connections between the British monarchy and the transatlantic slave trade.
Earlier in March reports indicated that the Kohinoor diamond will be cast as a “symbol of conquest" as part of a new display of Britain’s Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.
(With inputs from agencies)