It appears that King Charles III’s hands have taken a beating in the past week greeting hundreds of people.
The King shook hands with the public on his first trip to Wales since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96.
Hundreds of people lined the streets outside Llandaff Cathedral to catch a glimpse of King Charles, who previously served as Prince of Wales for 53 years before Prince William.
During the greetings, the insides of the 73-year-old king’s hands appeared redder and more sensitive at the knuckles and joints of his fingers. He has yet to discuss the reason for the apparently raw appearance, but social media users expressed concern.
“A few pictures have now surfaced of the now very… VERY… swollen, red hands… is this man okay? William may need to get ready,” one user tweeted.
“King Charles has red hands!! any idea?” asked another.
“I’ve been wondering for a while… what’s going on with Charles’ big red hands?” someone else tweeted.
Some royal family followers also questioned whether his hand coloring represented his health – as fans noted that Queen Elizabeth II was photographed wearing dark blue hands just two days before she died.
The monarch has previously received criticism from the public about his hands – or rather his fingers in particular – for that look like “sausage links”.
“There are no immediate health problems that can be inferred from swollen fingers and it is most likely a sign of his age,” Dr. Gareth Nye on the Daily Star last week.
The King and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, greeted the public after they left Llandaff Cathedral for a service by the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Reverend Andrew John, in Cardiff.
After the service, the King arrived at the Senedd, where he addressed the members of the Parliament of Wales in a bilingual speech.
“During all the years of her reign, the country of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart,” he said in part.
The King and Queen Consort, 75, are currently touring the UK to mourn the loss of the monarch and address the public in their new roles.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral will be held at Westminster Hall on Monday, September 19. The public is currently paying their respects to Her Majesty after her coffin arrived in a large procession on Wednesday.