The Queen claimed Prince Charles had "interesting" hands as a baby as doctors try to explain the swollen appearance of the new King's finers.
When Charles was born in November 1948, the Queen wrote a letter to her former music teacher, outlining the fact her newborn had an 'interesting pair of hands for a baby'.
Following the now King's birth, his mother, Princess Elizabeth spent days in the Palace's Buhl Room - which was specially converted into a well-equipped surgery. Afterwards, as new mothers were encouraged to do, she spent ten days in bed recuperating and breast-fed her son.
And Charles' fingers were a talking point, even from the moment he was born. In fact, the Queen's letter read: "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!"
Swollen fingers is something the now-King has suffered from for many years. In fact, the monarch himself even jokingly called them his 'sausage fingers' back in 2012 while on tour in Australia.
The swollen fingers are particularly noticeable after he has spent long periods flying or travelling to hot countries.
Now, a doctor has revealed the possible health conditions King Charles III may be suffering, after the 73-year-old heir's red and swollen hands were shared across social media.
British doctor, Dr Gareth Nye, has explained what health condition could be responsible for the swelling, as well as water retention or - most likely - simply old age.
Dr Nye said: "Oedema is a condition where the body starts to retain fluids in the limbs, normally the legs and ankles but also in the fingers, which causes them to swell.
"To see if this is the cause, pressing the swollen area for about 15 seconds would cause a depression in the area."
He also noted that older people can develop the disorder if they sit for long periods of time.
Another potential reason for the 'sausage fingers' Dr Nye said is arthritis. He added: "Arthritis - another common condition in the over 60s. It often affects three main areas in the hand - the thumb joint or either joints in the fingers.
"Fingers usually become stiff, painful and swollen and although medication can help with the pain, the swelling can remain."
Other causes could be a high salt diet or specific medications like those made for high blood pressure.
What is Oedema?
Oedema is a build up of fluid in the body, which can cause the affected tissue to become swollen. Swelling can occur in one particular part of the body, or it may be more general - depending on the cause.
Doctors note that oedema is often temporary, but if it does not clear by itself, you should see a GP.
Symptoms include:
- Swelling
As well as swelling or puffiness of the skin, if you have oedema, you may also experience other symptoms including:
- skin discolouration
- areas of skin that temporarily hold the imprint of your finger when pressed (pitting oedema)
- aching, tender limbs
- stiff joints
- weight gain
