King Charles’ swollen fingers became something of a social media phenomenon when he ascended the throne back in September last year, with many seemingly noticing them for the first time.
But what is the real reason behind his swollen digits? How did they get like that? Here’s everything we know…
King Charles’ swollen fingers explained
Over the last few months, a certain body aspect of King Charles has been scrutinised by both royal fans and the general public alike. The aspect in question? His hands and fingers, which seem to be quite swollen.
This aspect of the King’s appearance was particularly evident during his meeting with former PM Liz Truss.
As you can see, Charles’ hands looked a lot larger and more swollen than the average pair of hands. They also looked to be very red too.
Royal fans express concern
Charles’ swollen hands and fingers didn’t escape the notice of devoted royal fans online. Many expressed concern for the King, with some worrying that his swollen hands and fingers could be linked to some sort of illness.
Plenty of royal fans took to Twitter to discuss the 74-year-old’s digits previously.
“Why’s Charles got chubby fingers?” one royal fan tweeted.
“Can someone please tell me what’s wrong with Charles’ fingers? It’s keeping me up at night,” another said.
“Why are Charles’ fingers so swollen is he ill?” a third asked.
“In seriousness, I hope Charles’s health is OK because those hands don’t look very comfy,” another wrote.
“There’s now been a few photos surfacing of the now King Charles’ very.. VERY.. swollen, red hands.. is this man ok?” a fifth tweeted.
King Charles’ swollen fingers – possible causes
So why are Charles’ hands like that? There could be a couple of reasons.
One reason why his hands and fingers are swollen could be down to arthritis. Arthritis can cause the joint linings to swell, leading to stiffness, pain, and loss of function.
A sudden change of temperature can cause the afflicted area to change colour – a possible reason as to why Charles hands and fingers are red.
Another possible reason as to why His Majesty has swollen hands and fingers could be due to Oedema, which is when fluid builds up in one place. Staying in the same position for too long or eating salty foods can lead to this issue.
Of course, the royal family’s medical notes are fiercely protected so we will not know the cause.
The monarch’s swollen fingers and hands don’t seem to be a new thing either.
Back when Prince William was born, Charles delighted in the fact that his newborn son had “sausage fingers”.
In a letter to a friend, Charles reportedly wrote: “I can’t tell you how excited and proud I am. He really does look surprisingly appetising and has sausage fingers just like mine.”
Read more: Sad royal fans demand family should have ‘time to grieve’ as King Charles jets to Northern Ireland
The late Queen also seemingly spoke of her eldest son’s hands.
In a letter reportedly sent to her old music teacher, the Queen said: “The baby is very sweet and we are enormously proud of him. He has an interesting pair of hands for a baby.
“They are rather large, but with fine long fingers quite unlike mine and certainly unlike his father’s. It will be interesting to see what they become. I still find it hard to believe I have a baby of my own.”
What do you think of this story? Head to our Facebook page EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.