A recent photo of King Charles III garnered attention due to the royal’s hands, which appeared swollen and somewhat discolored. “That right hand. Sure hope it’s just the glare from the car window,” one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote.
In light of the recent snapshot, we exclusively reached out to hematologist and medical oncologist Chadi Nabhan M.D., MBA, host of the podcast “Healthcare Unfiltered” and author of the Johns Hopkins University Press books “Toxic Exposure” and the forthcoming “The Cancer Journey.” We sought his expertise on whether the king’s chemotherapy treatments might be behind the appearance of his hands. “The short answer is yes. Some of the chemotherapy agents that we use for various malignancies could have skin adverse events and side effects which range from discoloration to peeling and other problems,” he exclusively told Nicki Swift. The expert added that doctors and nurses often give patients lotions, topical creams, and bandaids to treat the aforementioned side effects. “To my eyes, there is some mild noted swelling, but I can’t really comment as to why the swelling is there,” he added.
#KingCharles leaving Clarence House today.
That right hand-😧
Sure hope it’s just the glare from the car window. pic.twitter.com/aa2U1vR6nd— The Office Of HRH Riley Dog 🦖 (@Rileydo73362981) March 27, 2024
Regarding King Charles’ overall appearance, Chadi said the royal “appears well” and doesn’t look distressed. This isn’t the first time the UK monarch’s hands have caught the attention of royal enthusiasts. In May 2023, King Charles’ swollen fingers made headlines, with many, including the king himself, describing them as sausage fingers. While the elder royal refrained from giving an official reason for his hands at the time, GP Chun Tang revealed to the New York Post that it could have been caused by water retention.
