Duchess Camilla granted permission to wear the Queen Mother's special Crown—but what is the Koh-i-Noor diamond and why is it said to be cursed?

Duchess Camilla will wear Duchess Camilla the controversial Queen Mother's Koh-i-Noor diamond crown to Prince Charles' coronation.

• Prince Charles is the next in the royal line of succession and will become King when his mother dies.
• As Queen consort, Camilla will have access to the Crown jewels and will wear the allegedly cursed Koh-i-Noor diamond crown.
• In other royal news, Prince Charles leads tributes for Queen's Platinum Jubilee—calling his mother 'inspiring.'

It was recently revealed that the Queen has given her blessing for Duchess Camilla to have a special title when Charles becomes King, and she will be known as the Queen consort.

It was also announced that as well as gaining a new title, the Duchess of Cornwall will also gain access to one of the most controversial items in the crown jewels as she will wear the Koh-i-Noor diamond when Charles is crowned King.

What is the Koh-i-Noor diamond?

The crown that features the Koh-i-Noor diamond was made for the Queen Mother when her husband, King George VI was coronated. 

The frame of this crown is set with 2,800 diamonds, including the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is one of the world's largest diamonds.

The name of the stone is Persian and Koh-i-Noor translates to 'Mountain of Light.' The stone was likely discovered in Southern India between 1100 and 1300 and the stone has had many owners in the centuries since it was discovered.

The diamond has been in the possession of the British royal family since it was given to Queen Victoria. The stone was placed as the central feature of a golden armlet that was to be worn on the upper arm. It has since been removed and placed on different pieces of jewelry before it was placed on a crown.

Is the Koh-i-Noor diamond cursed?

Like many large diamonds, such as the yellow tiffany diamond, there are rumors that the Koh-i-Noor diamond is in fact cursed. It is believed by some that the diamond is a bad omen and only a female owner of the diamond will avoid the bad luck that plagues the diamond.

World History claims the curse says, "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or Woman can wear it with impunity."

However, it is also thought that this supposed curse was part of a marketing scheme that dates back to the 1850s, as newspapers planned to sensationalize the arrival of the diamond to London.

Why is the Koh-i-Noor controversial?

The Koh-i-Noor is controversial as there have been many calls from India to return this diamond to its native country. 

India first asked Britain to return this diamond in 1947. The stone became a symbol of India's independence from British rule and colonization as India became an independent state the same year. In 2015, Indian investors once again tried to ensure the stone's return to India and launched a legal process to retrieve the stone.

As the exact location of the diamond's discovery is unknown, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have also claimed rights to the stone. However, the British royal family has been reluctant to part ways with this stone and the diamond is still a key feature in the British crown jewels.