King Charles fingers: What is Dactylitis? The medical condition which causes King Charles’ fingers to swell

King Charles III has often been remarked upon for his ‘sausage fingers’ but there is a medical reason his fingers swell.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster Abbey during a historic service which will be seen across the world. It will be the first coronation ceremony in the UK since the late Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1953.

However, not all eyes will be on the crown today as people already start to question what’s going on with his hands.Throughout his life, many have noticed the large fingers of the monarch, with the King himself once joking he had ‘sausage fingers’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The answer is, there is a medical reason behind his inflamed digits - a condition called  Dactylitis.

Why are King Charles’ fingers so big?

The medical term for inflammation or swelling of the fingers is Dactylitis. Dactylitis is the medical term for severe swelling that affects your fingers or toes.

Dactylitis is linked to Psoriatic arthritis. According to the NHS,Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that affects some people with the skin condition psoriasis. It typically causes affected joints to become swollen, stiff and painful.

The severity of the condition can vary considerably from person to person. Some people may have severe problems affecting many joints, whereas others may only notice mild symptoms in 1 or 2 joints