If you frequent social media, you're probably aware that King Charles III's rather girthy grippers are dominating the likes of Twitter, with a lot of fun being poked at the new monarch's oft-mocked mitts.
Charles, 73, has long suffered from swollen and sometimes red digits, a fact that has once again returned to public discourse with his ascension to the throne.
With poking fun at Charles' fingers now a free-for-all, a New Zealand butcher has also taken part in the banter by selling "limited stocks" of "King Charles Sausage Fingers" at their Auckland butchery.
In a light-hearted post to its social media on Wednesday, Avon's Butchery, located in the east Auckland suburb of Glen Innes, photographed a selection of sausages in their display cabinet with the label: "King Charles Sausage Fingers."
"Limited stocks," the butchery added.
The joke references a series of memes circulating on social media that feature Charles' with hotdogs or snags Photoshopped in the place of his fingers; but before everyone thinks the jokes are just the wurst (sorry), Charles himself has referred to himself as "sausage fingers" at least twice, including while he was touring Australia in 2012.
The butchery had first shared a photo of King Charles with his hands replaced with sausages, captioning their creation: "I'm going to hell."
With so much focus on the monarch's fingers, a British doctor was interviewed by the Daily Star for some insight into what conditions could be behind Charles' bloated hands.
Dr Gareth Nye told the Daily Star that while numerous conditions could be responsible for the swelling, oedema - or fluid retention - seemed most probable. The new king has been pictured on numerous occasions with swollen hands and feet, noticeably after long-haul flights or travelling in hot countries. Old age can also play a role in water retention.
"Oedema is a condition where the body starts to retain fluids in the limbs, normally the legs and ankles but also in the fingers, which causes them to swell," Dr Nye explained.
Another potential cause could be arthritis, the expert noted.
"Arthritis - another common condition in the over 60s. It often affects three main areas in the hand - the thumb joint or either joints in the fingers.
"Fingers usually become stiff, painful and swollen and although medication can help with the pain, the swelling can remain."
Other causes could be a diet high in sodium or specific medications, like those for controlling high blood pressure.
King Charles III officially ascended to the throne on Saturday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last Thursday at the age of 96.
