What is the medical reason for King Charles's 'sausage fingers'?

After months of preparation, today marks King Charles III's coronation (6 May) in Westminster Abbey.

King Charles officially ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The King's fingers have been a topic of conversation for some time, with photos first drawing attention to them on social media.

It was reported that the late Queen even highlighted his "interesting" hands when writing to a former music teacher about the birth of her son.

According to The Mirror, she wrote: "The baby is very sweet and we are enormously proud of him. He has an interesting pair of hands for a baby.

"They are rather large, but with fine long fingers quite unlike mine and certainly unlike his father’s. It will be interesting to see what they become. I still find it hard to believe I have a baby of my own!"

King Charles even poked fun at them in a letter to a friend after Prince William’s birth.

In Howard Hodgson’s biography Charles, The Man Who Will Be King, Charles allegedly wrote in the letter: "I can’t tell you how excited and proud I am. He really does look surprisingly appetising and has sausage fingers just like mine."

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Now, medical professionals have stepped in to explain why the so-called 'sausage fingers' happens.

GP Chun Tang, Medical Director at Pall Mall Medical in Manchester, told 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 and can be a result of arthritis, multiple bacterial infections or even TB.

"Other possibilities include high salt levels, allergic reactions, medicinal side effects, injury and autoimmune disease."

The term is medically described as dactylitis – a swelling affecting fingers and toes.

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