Transcript
A (0:00)
If you want access to bonus episodes, reading lists for every series of Empire, a chat, community discounts for all the books mentioned in the week's podcast ad, free listening and a weekly newsletter, sign up to empire club@www.empirepoduk.com.
B (0:19)
well, hello and welcome to Empire, a special emergency empire from me, Anita Arnest,
A (0:26)
and me, William Drimple. We don't often get to do emergency pods, unlike our colleagues in Karen affairs, but suddenly colonialism is all the rage.
B (0:35)
Comes a knocking at our door. It certainly does it. I mean, it's in the headlines. Let me. Let me tell you why we've suddenly pressed the plunger and exploded this particular emergency podcast. Headlines like this. Mamdani gives King Charles a royal brush back over a crown jewel swiped from India. There's another headline over here. Mamdani's advice to royals, give the priceless diamond back to India. New York Times. We got another one here. New York City. Zoran Mandani says he will ask King Charles to return Koh I Noor diamond to India. The Independent and the Telegraph and the BBC. Look, it's back.
A (1:14)
Bloody diamond suddenly. So Empire has turned into a current affairs program.
B (1:21)
This is an opportunity for us to give you a little bit of the background of this diamond and why. I think it's fair to say, Willi, that the King and Queen would really rather this hadn't come up again because they have done their best to pour sand, water and foam over the inferno. This diamond creation.
A (1:43)
We have been led to believe that they may, or someone close to them may have read this book.
B (1:50)
Sources close to the palace might have suggested that the work that you have done has meant that nobody wanted to wear it during the coronation.
A (2:00)
During the coronation. Yep.
B (2:01)
And sure enough, a copy did find
A (2:03)
its way to the palace and was read.
B (2:06)
Well, I mean, sources close to the palace would suggest that is the case. Look, the point is the curse in a nutshell. No man is ever going to be worthy to wear this diamond. It destroys all who come into contact. Only a woman who can wear this. And so through the British royal family, anyway, from the time of Queen Victoria, it has been basically chucked at the Queen Consort. Because if there's a curse, you can deal with it. Until Queen Camilla, who said, I'm not doing that. I'm not wearing it. And so it wasn't worn during the latest coronation. But why is there a curse now? That's what we need to remind you in this emergency podcast, Willy.
