King Charles has been accused of hiding his hands in photos to avoid being mocked for his ‘sausage fingers’ in new portraits released just days before the coronation this week.
He and the Queen Consort posed for the camera, with the monarch in a simple pinstripe suit and his wife in a cobalt blue dress.
But the British public noted that one detail seemed to be hidden from the photographer: his hands.
In one shot, he has them hidden behind his back as he stands next to Camilla, 75.
Meanwhile, a second photo shows the 74-year-old with one hand in his pocket.
King Charles has been accused of hiding his hands in photos to avoid being mocked for his ‘sausage fingers’ in new portraits released just days before the coronation this week
Since he ascended the throne last September, images of his swollen hands – which he jokingly described as his “sausage fingers” during an Australian tour in 2012 – went viral online as many zoomed in on the king’s fingers.
It was the seventh most searched term on Google at one point this year.
And so it’s perhaps not surprising that Charles might want to keep his digits hidden from official photos, especially during such a festive period.
But social media users have jokingly noted that the monarch has been “bullied” into keeping his fingers off the show.
“Show us his hands cowards,” said one retweet of the portraits.
A second quipped, “We’ll never see them again brother.”
“I want to abolish the monarchy, but I still feel bad that we bullied a grown man into never showing his hands again,” another joked.
The British public noted that one detail seemed to be hidden from the photographer: his hands
Social media users have jokingly noted that the monarch has been ‘bullied’ into keeping his fingers off the show
One person also added, “I can’t believe Twitter bullied the literal king into never showing his hands.”
The king is often depicted with swollen hands and feet, noticeable after long periods of flying or traveling to hot countries.
Although the monarch has suffered from the condition for several years, conversation about the issue became more widespread when he ascended the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
He was also seen with painfully swollen hands and feet on the first day of his 2019 royal tour of India when he took off his shoes to step into a Sikh temple in New Delhi.
Observers also pointed to the royals’ swollen hands as he sipped a pint at The Prince of Wales pub in Clapham Old Town in 2021.
The royal family has had big hands from an early age – a trait the Queen wrote about in a letter to her music teacher after Charles was born.
Keen royal watchers may be concerned about a potential health issue King Charles has previously joked about: his swollen fingers
The king has snapped swollen fingers a number of times over the years, jokingly referring to them as ‘sausages’ in 2012
She wrote: “The baby is very sweet and we are extremely proud of him. He has an interesting pair of hands for a baby.
‘They are quite large, but with fine long fingers that are very different from mine and certainly not from his father. It will be interesting to see what they become.’
Although royal fans have expressed concern about the appearance of the king’s hands, he has not confirmed the reason for the swelling.
According to a doctor, swollen fingers can be due to a number of health conditions, water retention, or simply old age.
Several conditions, including edema or arthritis, may be responsible. Other causes may include high blood pressure or a high-salt diet.
Charles’ fingers and toes were conspicuously red and swollen on the first day of his 2019 royal tour of India
Royal observers noticed King Charles’s swollen fingers as he sipped a pint at The Prince of Wales pub in Clapham Old Town in 2021
Edema is a condition where the body begins to retain fluid in the extremities, causing them to swell – and it can also occur in the fingers.
Men are less likely than women to develop edema. This is because the female hormone progesterone tends to trigger the condition, causing some women to get swollen ankles just before their period.
Older people develop the disorder when they sit for long periods of time.
However, it can be a result of arthritis, a common condition in people over 60 the thumb joint and the joints in the fingers.
Fingers usually become stiff, painful, and swollen, and while medications can help with the pain, the swelling may remain