The World from PRX

Bahraini diamonds not a girl’s best friend?

A member of Britain’s royal family is under fire for accepting jewels from the ruling regime in Bahrain, which last year cracked down violently on protestors calling for reform.

Conflict
ECErin Cunningham

Britain’s Prince Charles (R), Prince of Wales, walks with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (L) during a reception at Clarence House in London on December 13, 2011. Britain’s Countess of Wessex is under fire for accepting expensive jewels as a gift from Bahrain’s royal family, after the government cracked down on protestors last year.

FINBARR O'REILLY

Buckingham Palace is under pressure to return jewels given to the royal Countess of Wessex from Bahrain's government, which cracked down brutally on protestors calling for democratic reforms last year. 

Sophie, who visited Bahrain's ruling royal family on behalf of the Queen of England before Christmas, reportedly received two sets of expensive gems from the king and prime minister, including a silver and pearl cup, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. 

Parliament members of the left-wing Labour Party, as well as a former foreign minister, are calling on the Countess to return the jewels, or sell them and donate the proceeds to victims of the government's crackdown, according to the Telegraph. 

The row has re-opened the debate on British support for hardline regimes in the Middle East. While western leaders were more critical of the governments of Egypt, Libya and Syria for violently repressing popular protests in 2011, criticism of Bahrain has been somewhat muted. Many Middle East activists say it is because Bahrain is host to a sizeable U.S. naval fleet, and is key to the West's policy of containing Iranian influence in the Gulf. 

"I'm afraid that, when it comes to international relations, said Denis MacShane, a former foreign minister, according to the South African Times LIVE news site, "diamonds are not a girl's best friend."