Prince Charles' 'sausage fingers' grab headlines during visit to London pub

Prince Charles and his "sausage fingers" once again sparked concern among royal fans as he was photographed with swollen hands during a visit to businesses in South London last week.

The 72-year old stopped by the Prince of Wales pub at the Old Town area of Clapham during his visit. He was photographed going behind the bar and getting himself a pint of bitter. He stopped pouring before he filled it to the brim and asked his wife, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, "I think that's probably enough. Would you say keep going?"

He then pulled his mask aside and took a sip while Camilla watched. During his visit, he also joked about dropping by at every Prince of Wales pub in the country to get a "free drink."

It was a happy day for the pub, according to landlord Dermot Connell, who said it was exciting to have "the Prince of Wales coming to the Prince of Wales." He said Prince Charles volunteered to prepare his drink himself and that "he seemed" to like his beer.

"It's good that he's getting out and about and showing people it's now safe again to be in the pubs," Connell said as quoted by Sky News.

However, pictures shared online from the public engagement prompted concerns yet again from fans who are becoming increasingly worried about the royal's health. Photos taken from the moment he took a sip of beer showed visibly red and swollen hands, which netizens have since dubbed as "sausage fingers."

"I can't get over the sheer size of Prince Charles' fingers, absolute sausage units," one fan tweeted and another wrote, "Does the #Prince of Wales have Rheumatoid Arthritis of the hands?? The Prince of Wales was photographed with swollen hands when he pulled a pint in a south #London pub."

"He's got severe water retention. It's been an ongoing issue for two years now," another commented.

The NHS, on its website, shared that swelling in the arms and hands is often caused by a build-up of fluid, called oedema. It can be the result of eating too much salty food or staying in the same position for too long.

Swollen fingers could also be a sign of serious health problems with the heart, kidney, or liver. Prince Charles reportedly suffers from Dactylitis, a severe inflammation that can cause fingers to have a sausage-like appearance.