"Return Our Diamonds Looted During the Colonial Era"

After the Queen's Death, India and South Africa Also Seek Return
3100-Carat Heart-Sized Rough Stone Split for Crown and Scepter Decorations... Appeared at Queen's Funeral Ceremony

Cullinan Diamond.
Photo by Royal Collection Trust website

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung]

With the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom just two days away, calls are growing to return the Cullinan Diamond, which appears at the funeral, to its place of origin, the Republic of South Africa (South Africa).

At the queen's funeral, the crown symbolizing the queen's dignity and the scepter representing royal authority will be placed on the coffin.

The crown and scepter are embedded with diamonds looted by Britain from South Africa during the colonial era.

The original name of this diamond is the "Great Star of Africa" or "Cullinan I."

The rough stone was discovered in 1905 at a South African mine owned by Thomas Cullinan. The original size of the rough stone was about 3,106 carats, said to be as large as a human heart. Two years later, in 1907, the rough stone was sent as a 66th birthday gift to King Edward VII, the British monarch at the time, becoming the property of the British royal family, and was subsequently cut and polished in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

In South Africa, there is a growing call to return the Cullinan Diamond, which was gifted to King Edward VII of Britain during the colonial era.
The photo shows the crown adorned with the Cullinan Diamond and the orb placed on Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in the UK.
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Cullinan Diamond was cut into nine large gems and 96 smaller gems.

The largest diamond was named the "Great Star of Africa," and the second largest was named the "Little Star of Africa," with the latter adorning the queen's crown.

According to CNN on the 16th (local time), an online petition demanding the return of the Cullinan Diamond to a South African museum has been launched in South Africa, with over 6,400 signatures.

South Africans argue that returning the Cullinan Diamond to South Africa is a way to address Britain's colonial history.

Everisto Benyera, a professor of African political science at a South African university, told CNN, "Colonial transactions were illegal and immoral," adding, "At the time of mining, private mining companies, governments, and the British Empire were all part of a larger colonial network."

Lee-An Mattis, spokesperson for South Africa's opposition party EFF, also criticized in an interview with CNN, saying, "The British queen has flaunted the diamond for over half a century." Mattis further stated, "We do not demand a return because that implies a valid contract," and added, "We demand the repatriation of all colonial thefts, including the 'Great Star of Africa.'"

Demands to return precious jewels taken by the British royal family continue mainly from countries that were once British colonies.

In India, demands to return the Kohinoor diamond, looted during the British Empire era, persist mainly on Indian social media platforms.

Meanwhile, African countries have also persistently fought to reclaim their cultural artifacts looted by British troops during the colonial period. As a result, last month, the British Museum agreed to return 72 items looted from the Kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria during a British military operation in 1897 to the Nigerian government.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.