King Charles' 'sausage fingers' spark concern from royal fans as internet searches for his swollen hands soar

King Charles' fingers have sparked concern among royal fans, with a huge spike in internet searches on his swollen 'sausage fingers' being observed in recent times.

• King Charles' fingers are of increasing concern among royal fans, with internet searches for his swollen hands spiking. 
• The new monarch is believed to have referred to his 'sausage fingers' himself during a trip to Australia back in 2012 and the term became the seventh most Googled in the UK last year. 
• In other royal news, King Charles is planning the 'biggest royal tour in history' to carry on a 'mantra from his late mother'.

King Charles' swollen hands have become a growing point of interest for royal fans over the past year, it seems, with 'Charles' fingers' and 'Charles sausage fingers' now among the most Googled search terms about the newly appointed King. 

King Charles' so-called 'sausage fingers' made it to number four in the list of Brits' most searched internet queries about him in the past 12 months after various images of Charles' puffy pointers sparked concern among his supporters. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla have been busier than ever in recent weeks, with Charles ascending the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle in September 2022. 

But with public appearances often comes interest from royal fans surrounding Charles' fingers, with comments on social media about the King's hands regularly popping up when new photos of him are released.

Charles and Camilla once visited a pub in Clapham Old Town and the two tasted some of the local beers. This visit took place at the end of May 2021 and Google searches concerning the Prince's fingers spiked.

The King often keeps his hands in his pockets or by his side but on this occasion, he was photographed with his hands in plain view sipping from a pint of beer.

The image surprised many fans who took to google and social media to question why the King's fingers appeared to be so swollen.

One fan wrote on Twitter, "What’s going on with his hands/fingers?"

Another added that they were simply "fascinated by his sausage fingers".

King Charles' hands and feet were also noticeably swollen when he visited India with Queen Consort Camilla in 2019 and concern grew among royal fans once when he stepped out for Prince Philip's funeral in 2020 with red, swollen fingers again. 

"I’ve never noticed the hands of Prince Charles until this photo! Is he ok? OMG they are so swollen," one Twitter commenter wrote about the monarch, who was then the Prince of Wales, after the funeral. 

"Why does Prince Charles have swollen hands and feet?," another social media user penned earlier this year. 

Another worried fan added, ''Is there something wrong with Prince Charles? His hands seem very swollen lately?" alongside images from his India trip. 

Charles himself is reported to have made reference to his enlarged digits during a trip to Australia in 2012, dubbing them his 'sausage fingers' after hours of flying to the scorching country, as reported by Cornwall Live. 

It's been noticed that Charles' fingers and toes appear particularly swollen when he steps out for royal engagements abroad, after long flights and in hot weather. 

Google searches from those after answers on the reason behind this type of swelling have soared, with 'sausage fingers meaning' also a popular search term. 

According to Healthline, 'sausage fingers' relates to the medical condition Dactylitis. The website states in an article medically reviewed by Brenda B. Spriggs, a board-certified physician in internal medicine and rheumatology, "Dactylitis is severe inflammation of the finger and toe joints. The puffy nature of the inflammation can make your digits look like sausages."

The most common cause of 'sausage fingers' is psoriatic arthritis, a disease that causes the immune system to attack the tissue surrounding the joints. The NHS website explains that the condition can get 'progressively worse' in later life, adding, "If psoriatic arthritis is diagnosed and treated early, its progression can be slowed down and permanent joint damage can be prevented or minimized".

If you're concerned about swelling of your hands or feet, contact your doctor who will be able to talk through potential causes and treatments.