Anita Anand: Last News

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the complicated process that would come with any attempts to abolish the monarchy are likely a “nonstarter” for Canadians amid pressing national problems like inflation, climate change and the need for continued work on reconciliation.

The British Monarchy is well-known for its wealth of remarkable crowns and jewels - but one diamond in its collection is said to have a dark and cursed history. The Koh-i-Noor diamond, worth an estimated £350m, came from India's Alluvial mines before it fell through the intricacies of Indian Court and eventually came into the possession of British royal family in the mid-1800s.

British Monarchy is filled with jewels, crowns and bits of bling, but one in particular is said to have a dark and cursed past.The Koh-i-Noor diamond is now valued at £350m and came from India's Alluvial mines before making its way into British possession in the mid-1800s when amateur geologists wrote up its history.In fact the diamond ended up falling through the intricacies of Indian Court and into the British Crown Jewels, with two historians now alleging the story of the jewel involves a fair amount of 'looting'.READ MORE: Strange behaviour of man who waited 14-hours in queue before grabbing Queen's coffinTwo historians, Anita Anand and William Dalrymple, believe the story set out by geologists of the time is "built on a structure of myth," that depends on the Last Treaty of Lahore.That myth appears to be the acquisition of the jewel, which was handed over after a series of contracts were signed during the annexation of Punjab. Add into this an alleged curse surrounding it, which says only women and God can wear it.

Manori Ravindran International EditorBritish Asian actor and newly established writer Anjli Mohindra is set to adapt BBC journalist Anita Anand’s biography on Princess Sophia Duleep Singh under a development deal with “War of the Worlds” producer Urban Myth Films.Urban Myth has snapped up television rights to Anand’s book on the fascinating Duleep Singh, who was of Sikh heritage and goddaughter to Queen Victoria.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorEXCLUSIVE: Historian William Dalrymple and journalist Anita Anand’s well-received history book Koh-i-Noor: The History Of The World’s Most Infamous Diamond has been optioned for a TV drama series adaptation by Paris, LA and Mumbai-based producers 185 Carat Films.The book charts the winding true story of the Indian diamond, the 27th largest in the world, which is currently part of the British Crown Jewels. The precious stone changed hands between various factions in south and west Asia, until being ceded to Queen Victoria after the British annexation of the Punjab in 1849.