United Kingdom’s royal monarch Queen Elizabeth, who has been away from royal duties and events due to ill-health, has been recently seen meeting General Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of the Defence Staff. Since it was the monarch first appearance after a long time, the pictures went viral and left some royal watchers worried. Social media users were quick to point out how the 95-year-old monarch’s hands appeared purple.
While some speculations were that the temperature at the royal palace needs to be kept warmer, other attributed it to Raynaud’s phenomenon which happens due to decreased blood flow. Notably, in the pictures released by Buckingham Palace, both Queen Elizabeth and General Sir Carter’s hands look dark purple. This could be attributed to the lighting in the room causing the effect but the purple skin could also be a sign of poor circulation.
Dr. Jay Verma, from the Shakespeare Medical Centre, was quoted by the Metro as saying, “It might be Raynaud’s phenomenon or just really cold hands. The purple is due to deoxygenated blood.” According to John Hopkins Medicine site, it causes decreased blood flow to the fingers in response to cold or stress. The National Health Service, UK, states that the phenomenon is not a serious condition and can be remedied quickly by keeping warm. It usually occurs in a cold climate which restricts blood flow and oxygen.
