The curious case of King Charles's mystery 'sausage' fingers
King Charles III was in the headlines recently as he took the throne officially post the coronation ceremony last Saturday. However, along with the monarch trended his 'sausage fingers' that were red and swollen. Video grabs from the ceremony, memes, and comments started piling up on social media regarding his fingers. Here is a quick recap of the moments his fingers were adored.
All eyes on his fingers
A mystery since birth
Apparently, King Charles III's fingers have been a thing of interest since his birth. The King's late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, reportedly referred to Charles' swollen hands in a letter to his former piano teacher, according to The Mirror. "The baby is very sweet and we are enormously proud of him. He has an interesting pair of hands for a baby," the Queen wrote.
King joked about it in 2012
While it was popular with the masses during the coronation ceremony, the swollen fingers of the King have been discussed many times in the past. In 2012, he made fun of his "sausage fingers" upon landing after a long flight to Australia. Mass curiosity further widened when he was seen sipping a pint during a royal engagement in 2021.
When Prince Williams mentioned the 'sausage fingers'
On the occasion of Charles' 70th birthday in 2018, his son Prince William made a humorous allusion to his fingers. William encouraged the King to cease writing letters with "sausage fingers" during the speech. After William's birth, the King himself mentioned his fingers in a letter to a friend. "He really does look surprisingly appetizing and has sausage fingers just like mine."
Medical professionals point out different reasons
Many in the medical community believed that the monarch is suffering from a condition called edema, which causes swelling due to fluid retention. Others pointed it out to be a result of arthritis, multiple bacterial infections, or even TB. G.P. Chun Tang, Medical Director at Pall Mall Medical stated other possibilities including high salt levels, allergic reactions, medicinal side effects, injury, and autoimmune disease.
