Dan Snow's History Hit

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

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Episode notes

The enormous Cullinan Diamond will be on display at Charles III Coronation, but the diamond that's missing - the Koh-i-Noor - is the one that everyone's been talking about. Its splendour captured the eyes and imaginations of rulers for centuries, from the Persian conqueror Nader Shah to Queen Victoria. But how did this symbol of Mughal power and prestige come to hold a central role in the British coronation ceremony? Dan is joined by journalist and historian Shrabani Basu as she traces the story of the diamond, navigating the epic twists and turns of South Asian history, the power struggles that have shaped the region and the bloody colonial history that brought the Koh-i-Noor to Buckingham Palace.

Produced by Mariana des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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