Fans Noticed A Worrying Detail In Recent Photo Of Prince Charles

Prince Charles has been on a rollercoaster ride recently. After suffering the loss of his father, Prince Philip, he may finally have smiled again at the arrival of Lilibet Diana. And all eyes are on the prince as fans and the media see how he’s coping. Take a closer look at photos of Charles, though, and you’ll see an alarming detail. It even seems as though the prince may be struggling with a worrying health condition.

The Family Reconvenes

Philip’s funeral was a chance for the royals to meet up again as a family. Everyone’s aware of what a stressful year 2020 was for them. There was the global pandemic obviously, but it was also that year when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Charles’ son and daughter-in-law, stepped down from the royal family.

'The Firm' In Chaos

The exit caused absolute chaos – and it can’t have been good for Charles’ health. Newspaper stories immediately claimed that Harry and Meghan hadn’t even told the Queen they were leaving – accusations Harry later denied. Oh, and apparently Harry’s closest relatives, his father and brother, were furious with him. Again, not the best situation for a man with any health condition.

The Tabloids' Version

A royal source told The Sun at the time, “The queen is deeply upset. The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge are incandescent with rage. Courtiers can’t believe it. There are so many unanswered questions, but they’ve just up and done it without a thought for anyone else. The plan was there to discuss it and work out a way that works for everyone in the family.” Could the stress of this mess have affected Charles?

Strained Relationship

Harry confirmed that his relationship with his father was strained to say the least. When he and Meghan gave a supposedly “tell-all” interview to Oprah, he said that Charles had stopped taking his calls. The prince added, “It’s really sad that it’s gotten to this point.”

Cut Off

The prince also claimed that Charles had cut him off financially, meaning he had to pay for security arrangements himself. However, an “ally of Charles” denied this via the Evening Standard newspaper, saying, “For Harry to say he feels ‘let down’ seems a little rich when you consider what he has done.” Harsh! But possibly fair if it was all taking a toll on Charles’ health.

Not Saying Who

Not only that, though, but Meghan claimed in the Oprah interview that there had been comments about the skin color of her then-unborn first child, Archie. She claimed that there had been “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.” Harry concurred with the claim but said he wouldn’t reveal who’d allegedly said such things.

Wild Speculation

The media speculated wildly about which member of the royal family had perhaps made the racial remarks. Oprah herself clarified that she had been told a little more, and it wasn’t the Queen or Philip, for sure. Could it have been Charles? Harry simply wasn’t saying.

Addressing Specific Issues

In the weeks after the interview, royal fans had to rely on insiders and experts to understand where the Harry-Charles relationship stood. One of these, Katie Nicholl, told Entertainment Tonight, “Prince Charles did want to issue a more detailed statement [in response] to the Oprah interview and possibly address some of those issues point by point.”

Charles Clarifies

Nicholl went on, “Prince Charles was particularly frustrated by the suggestion that financially he just cut the couple off, when if you speak to sources in Charles’ camp, that wasn’t the case. He did continue funding them for quite some time after they moved first to Canada and then to America.” So, what was the truth?

'Recollections May Vary'

Well, the actual statement released by the royal family after the Oprah interview was a more neutral one. It read, “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

Asleep At Home

And then came another misfortune. Philip passed away on April 9, the cause of his death being simply old age. Harry and Meghan were asleep at their California home when the Palace attempted to notify them, as it was 3:00 a.m. Pacific time.

Physically Driving Out

So a representative of the U.S. Embassy called up the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department and requested an officer drive to Harry’s home. The officer told a staff member there to relay a message to the prince that he needed to call the Embassy. But the Palace has never confirmed whether that story was true or not.

Updating Plans

Harry and Meghan quickly had their website updated to feature a tribute to Philip. It read, “Thank you for your service. You will be greatly missed.” Then news spread that Harry would attend the funeral, but Meghan couldn’t fly out to Britain because she was heavily pregnant. 

Thanks To The Photographers

Attending the funeral meant Harry meeting up with his father and brother again in person, so everyone was anticipating what might happen. And as soon as the service started, cameras were in place snapping every single interaction between the royals. It was thanks to those photographers that so many noticed the worrying detail about Charles.

Unsure Expectations

Harry had apparently attempted to patch things up to some extent before returning to Britain and his family. An anonymous source told The Mirror on April 19, “Truth be told, Harry didn’t really know what to expect before he came home, which is why he reached out before seeing everyone.”

Putting It On Hold... For Now

The source went on, “He wrote a deeply personal note to his dad to try and set things straight, but tensions are still running high and things haven’t exactly ironed out the way he had hoped. There had been a kind of unspoken agreement between everyone to park whatever has been on each person’s mind and solely concentrate on supporting the Queen ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral.”

Ground To Make Up

And the source also had something to say about after the funeral. They claimed, “Harry didn’t expect everything to be completely back to normal, but his feeling after seeing his family was there is a lot of ground to make up.” Could it also be the case, though, that his father’s health was another complication?

Noticing Charles

When royal fans saw Charles at Philip’s funeral, eyebrows were certainly raised. It was hard not to notice something standing out about the elderly royal. His hands, especially his fingers, appeared red and bloated. Whatever was causing this, it seemed like a painful condition.

Not The First Time

And this isn’t the first time the prince has been spotted with swelling. Back in 2019 Charles visited India, and fans noticed how much his hands and also his feet were swollen. In that case he’d just spent nine hours on a plane, which could very much have exacerbated the condition.

Visible Swelling

What medical issue does Charles have? Folks are eager to know. According to the website Keyword Tool, every month 33,000 people search for the term “Prince Charles fingers.” And that figure increased after some of Charles’ public appearances in 2021, where the condition seemed even more visible.

The Public Speculates

Towards the end of May 2021 Charles visited a pub and was given some local beers to taste. Photographs naturally focused on his hands holding the mug, and it was clear that something was wrong with his fingers. So Twitter users speculated on what it might be.

Water Retention

In amongst comments about Charles’ fingers being “absolute sausage units,” fans on the social media site traded their theories. One person questioned, “Does the Prince of Wales have rheumatoid arthritis of the hands?” And another claimed, “He’s got severe water retention. It’s been an ongoing issue for two years.”

Never Spoken Aloud

But this remains speculation for now, as Charles has never actually spoken about any health issues he may have. It is, however, clear that old age is starting to catch up with him – he’s in his 70s now – and that’s something he has, in fact, mentioned in public. 

Making A Joke Out Of It

In April 2018 Charles delivered a funny speech while touring Brisbane, Australia. He joked that for no longer would he be able to “squeeze into a pair of budgie smugglers,” and added, “I don’t know about you, ladies and gentlemen, but now bits of me keep falling off at regular intervals.”

Oldest Heir Apparent

Charles’ age has been a much-discussed topic for a while now. Currently he’s the longest-serving heir apparent in the whole of recorded British history and the longest-serving Prince of Wales. And when the time comes for him to be crowned, he’ll also be the oldest king of Britain to date.

Questioning The Process

Will Charles even make it to the throne, then? And would it be a good idea if he does? In 2021 royal expert Clive Irving told Vanity Fair, “One problem is that he doesn’t look like an invigorating generational shift, does he? That’s what would be needed – something that reinvigorates and sends a sense that [the royal family have] understood the modern world.”

Aware Of What This Means

Charles’ nearest and dearest may also not want him to be king. In 2021 royal biographer Penny Junor told Woman and Home that she believed Camilla was feeling “dread” over the prospect of Charles’ ascension. Some of that, however, may have been fear of becoming Queen Consort herself.

Choosing Not To Think About It

Junor wrote, “Friends and family know it is not something [Camilla] wants – she has said as much. She is in this position because of her love of the man, not because of her desire to be anything more than a support to him. The whole business of his accession is something she dreads and, in her inimitable way, is choosing not to think about.”

Devoted To Duty

Harry surely must have some feelings there too, right? Well, if he’s ever commented on specifically his father’s suitability for the throne, we don’t know about it. But in 2017 he told Newsweek, “Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.”

Condition Still Unclear

Although Charles hasn’t revealed the reason for his swollen hands, the photographs of him did spark a rise in awareness for the particular medical problem that might be responsible. Plus the media published some advice about what a person could do to improve the pain of swollen hands and feet.

Something Serious?

The U.K.’s National Health Service recommends massage, gentle exercise and drinking plenty of water to bring down swellings. But it also points out that although the cause might be something benign, like eating too much salty food, it may also be a sign of a more serious long-term health problem.

Causing Permanent Damage

You see, the condition nicknamed “sausage fingers” is usually caused by the immune system disease psoriatic arthritis, which unfortunately can get worse as a person grows older. But if it’s caught early and given the appropriate treatment, it can be slowed down and prevented from causing permanent problems with the joints.

Best Medical Care In The World

We can safely assume that Charles receives the finest medical treatment available, though. As the heir to the throne, he’s entitled to have a doctor go with him whenever he flies overseas on a tour. And he even travels with his own packs of blood in case he should need an emergency transfusion.

Supporters Of The Cause

Charles could also get Camilla to help. She has connections, you see, to the charity Versus Arthritis. The Duchess of Cornwall is patron of the organization and has been since 2012. The official website for the charity notes that she is “a tireless advocate for better musculoskeletal health” and says that staff have been “honored by the Duchess’ support.”

Still Mad

If Charles does have a medical issue, then that could make the feud with Harry even more problematic. And unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In May 2021 a royal source indicated that Charles was still livid with his son over the explosive Oprah interview.

No More Drama For The Queen

An anonymous source told Us Weekly, “With the way things are going, Charles may never forgive Harry, which hasn’t gone down well with [Queen] Elizabeth. She feels that he’s putting his pride before the best interest of the monarchy. She has enough on her plate dealing with the loss of her husband. It’s a drama she can do without.”

Stubborn Charles

Although William had succeeded in opening up a dialogue with Harry, apparently the “more stubborn” Charles had not. The anonymous insider said, “Elizabeth is proud of William for taking the dignified approach, unlike Charles, who still hasn’t forgiven Harry for dragging his name through the mud.” That doesn’t sound good.

Just A Glimmer

Yet there might be a glimmer of hope. Harry and Meghan’s second child came along in June 2021, a little girl they named Lilibet after the royal family’s nickname for the Queen. Charles described this as “happy news” during a trip to Oxford. He also spoke about the importance of “the legacy we bequeath to our grandchildren.”

Moving Forward

What happens from here, we’ll simply have to wait and see. But if Charles’ seeming medical condition worried fans on the internet, there’s a high chance it might have worried Harry as well. So considering he’s a dad for the second time, perhaps it’s time for the duke to fully make up with his father, too.