Joe Biden stopped off to meet King Charles after flying to the UK on Monday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. The US president received a royal salute at Windsor Castle while the Welsh Guards played the US national anthem.
The two figureheads appeared to share a joke on Mr Biden's arrival, as they were seen smiling and laughing in each other's company. However, it seems they're not the only ones laughing as Americans have started joking about the King's 'sausage fingers' after noticing them on TV.
On social media, one confused user asked: "Anyone know what's going on with Charles' fingers?" Another user added: "When are King Charles' fingers going to pop?" Jokes about the King's fingers have been circulating the internet since at least 2012 - but according to GP Chun Tang, Medical Director at Pall Mall Medical in Manchester, it could be caused by "numerous health conditions".
Dr Tang told the Daily Mail: "Often puffy fingers are a symptom of water retention which can be caused by numerous health conditions. This condition arises due to inflammation and can be a result of arthritis, multiple bacterial infections or even TB. Other possibilities include high salt levels, allergic reactions, medicinal side effects, injury and autoimmune disease."
There's even a technical term for his 'sausage fingers' – dactylitis – which is a medical term for severe swelling that affects your fingers and toes. King Charles has a seemingly lighthearted approach to his hands' condition.
In a letter to his friend after his son, Prince William, was born he reportedly wrote, as quoted in Charles, The Man Who Will Be King by Howard Hodgson: "I can't tell you how excited and proud I am. He really does look surprisingly appetising and has sausage fingers just like mine."
His late mother, the Queen, also noted the size of Charles' hands, reportedly writing a letter to her music teacher after he was born: "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."
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