Why are King Charles’ hands and fingers so swollen? Medical reason explained

King Charles III reignites concern over the appearance of his hands during Donald Trump’s state visit

King Charles has reignited concern over the extremely swollen appearance of his hands and fingers.

As the 76-year-old monarch hosted US President Trump and First Lady Melania in Windsor on day two of their UK state visit, countless videos and images of Charles began circulating. In many of these videos and images — such as the one released by Buckingham Palace of his state banquet speech — His Majesty can be seen with what is colloquially termed as “sausage fingers.”

With Charles’ health a constant concern amid his cancer battle, many royal watchers were left wondering, “Why are King Charles’ hands and fingers so swollen?”

GP Chun Tang, Medical Director at Pall Mall Medical in Manchester, previously explained to the Daily Mail: “Often puffy fingers are a symptom of water retention which can be caused by numerous health conditions.

This condition arises due to inflammation. Other possibilities include high salt levels, allergic reactions [and] medicinal side effects.”

The condition, called dactylitis, can also be linked to oedema — fluid retention triggered by salty foods, temperature changes, or even certain medications.

This isn’t the first time fans have speculated about the King’s “sausage fingers,” a nickname he’s even joked about himself.

In the BBC documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year, Prince William teased his father while fastening his robe, saying, “On the day, that’s not going to go in,” to which Charles laughed: “No, you haven’t got sausage fingers like mine.”

Interestingly, even Queen Elizabeth II noted her son’s hands at birth, writing: “They are rather large, but with fine long fingers… It will be interesting to see what they become.”