Authorities are demanding the return of this largest stone in the world, discovered in 1905 and recovered by British settlers.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published on 05/06/2023 at 06:00
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An online petition launched by South Africans to recover the diamonds has garnered nearly 8,000 signatures. HANNAH MCKAY / POOL / AFP
The coronation of Charles III. has reignited calls in South Africa for the return of the world’s largest diamond, the centerpiece of a scepter the monarch will hold during Saturday’s ceremony. The Cullinan I, also known as the “Star of Africa”, weighing 530 carats, was found in South Africa in 1905, then under British rule. It was given to King Edward VII for his birthday two years later by the colonial government.
“All of South Africa’s wealth belongs to the South African people, not a British palace,” MP Vuyolwethu Zungula, leader of a small opposition party, told AFP on Thursday. “People have died, blood has been spilled for these diamonds to find their way to Britain. The Star of Africa was cut from the 3,126-carat Cullinan diamond, the largest diamond ever mined, weighing a rough 621 grams. Sent to Amsterdam, it was cut into two main stones, seven gems and 96 brilliants.
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Many of these diamonds were set in the Crown Jewels given to other members of the royal family. Since the end of apartheid, there have been regular calls for its restoration, each time more urgent, as during Queen Elizabeth II’s 1995 visit to the country.
At the same time, the restitution of African objects by the former colonial powers has intensified in recent years. “We want the Star of Africa and all diamonds, gold and other minerals stolen from South Africa by the British Empire WITHOUT COMPENSATION,” ANC MP Carl Niehaus tweeted after the Queen’s death in September. “We don’t pay for stolen goods!” ‘: An online petition calling on King Charles to return the diamonds has garnered over 8,000 signatures. “As South Africans, we demand that our diamonds be returned to a museum,” she says.