King Charles' so-called 'sausage fingers' have attracted a lot of attention from royal watchers over the years – and the monarch himself has even joked about them.
Particular attention was drawn to the king's swollen fingers as he ascended the throne and the eyes of the world were upon him.
And a new one BBC documentary about the king, broadcast on Boxing Day, reveals a comic moment when Charles jokes with his eldest son William about his swollen hands as they rehearse for the coronation ceremony.
As more people than ever watched royal events following the death of Queen Elizabeth and the ascension of Charles, some who did not consider themselves royal spectators began to question the hands of the new monarch.
The fascination stretched far and wide, even including a cheeky butcher New Zealand offering 'King Charles Sausage Fingers' to customers around the time of the coronation in May.
But for more die-hard royal fans, the King's swollen fingers are nothing new and have been noticed by other members of the royal family. Royal family for years – dating back to his childhood…
King Charles' so-called 'sausage fingers' have been a topic of conversation within the royal family for decades
Queen Elizabeth writes about Charles' hands
King Charles' sausage fingers have been the subject of discussion within the royal family since birth, with the late Queen mentioning his 'big hands' in a letter to her music teacher after he was born
King Charles is depicted in a portrait taken for his ninth birthday in 1957 – with his right hand proudly on display
Although the monarch's hands have been in the spotlight since he took the throne, they have long been a prominent feature on King Charles' body – and were even mentioned when he was a child.
His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, noted that her firstborn had great digits when he was just a baby.
And his large hands were a feature the Queen described in a letter to her music teacher after Charles was born.
She wrote: 'The baby is very sweet and we are very proud of him. He has an interesting pair of hands for a baby.
'They are quite large, but with fine, long fingers, very different from mine and certainly different from his father's.
“It'll be interesting to see what they become.”
Charles comments on Prince William's hands
When King Charles came of age, he commented on the hands of his eldest son, Prince William, saying he had 'sausage fingers just like mine'
The monarch raises a hand to his chin to pose for a portrait taken in August 1982 at Highgrove House, his favorite residence.
After the birth of his first son, Prince William, the king revealed to friends that he was bursting with pride at becoming a father.
In particular, he drew attention to one way in which his firstborn resembled him.
When the now monarch wrote a letter to a friend about his newborn son, Prince William, he mentioned his swollen hands.
“I can't tell you how excited and proud I am,” he wrote, as quoted in Howard Hodgson's Charles, The Man Who Will Be King.
'It looks surprisingly tasty and has sausage fingers just like mine.'
King Charles imagined himself playing polo and holding his slightly swollen hand to his face. Pictured in the 1990s
A joke about his fingers after a flight to Australia
During a royal tour of Australia in 2012, the king joked about his 'sausage fingers' shortly after arrival.
Charles and Camilla visited the country as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, also visiting Papa New Guinea.
During the tour, Charles' fingers appeared red and swollen during many of his public outings, but he was the first to joke about it.
Doctor reveals why Charles' fingers sometimes swell
King Charles pictured himself sipping a pint in a Dorset pub in 2002
Days after King Charles ascended the throne in September 2022, a doctor revealed some of the possible reasons why his hands occasionally look swollen.
Dr. Gareth Nye told the Daily Star: 'Oedema is a condition where the body begins to retain fluid in the extremities, normally the legs and ankles, but also in the fingers, causing them to swell.'
'To see if this is the cause, pressing on the swollen spot for about 15 seconds would cause a depression in the area.'
Women are more likely to develop edema than men because their female hormone, progesterone, often causes the condition, causing some women to experience swollen ankles just before their period.
The king (pictured) has received a lot of attention since he came to the throne for his self-described 'sausage fingers'
Older people can develop the condition if they sit for long periods of time.
King Charles is often depicted with swollen hands and feet, especially after long periods of flying or traveling to hot countries.
Another possible reason for 'sausage fingers' is arthritis.
Arthritis – another common condition in people over 60. It often affects three main areas in the hand: the thumb joint or any of the joints in the fingers,” he said.
'Fingers usually become stiff, painful and swollen and although medication can help with the pain, the swelling may persist.'
Other causes may include a high-salt diet or specific medications such as high blood pressure medications.
Royal fans say Charles was 'bullied' for not showing his hands
King Charles has been accused of hiding his hands in photos to avoid being mocked for his 'sausage fingers' in new portraits released this week just days before the coronation
Ahead of his coronation this year, royal fans noted that they were seeing less of King Charles' hands than before.
A portrait of King Charles and Queen Camilla released by Buckingham Palace showed the monarch beaming in a pinstripe suit – but his hands were nowhere to be seen and were behind his back.
Reacting to the photo, royal watchers joked on social media that the monarch had been 'bullied' into showing his hands in photos after the 'sausage fingers' went viral around the time he took the throne.
“Show us his hands, you cowards,” one Twitter user commented beneath the portraits.
A second joked: “We'll never see them again bro.”
“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.
One person also added: 'I can't believe Twitter bullied the literal king into never showing his hands.'
Charles jokes with William during the coronation rehearsals
Prince William is pictured with King Charles during rehearsals for the king's coronation at Westminster Abbey in London
A BBC documentary following King Charles during the coronation year reveals the moment King Charles joked with his son Prince William about his swollen digits.
As he practices presenting King Charles with his 'Stole Royal', an embroidered band of cloth symbolizing the sacred nature of royalty, ahead of May's coronation, Prince William jokes about how tricky the catch is and groans: 'The day it doesn't go in, eh?'
“No,” says the king, giggling; '[But] you don't have sausage fingers like mine!'
The documentary will be broadcast on BBC One on Boxing Day.