Why do the Queen’s hands look so purple in her latest pictures?
One explanation for the purple hue is simply that the Queen was cold
Queen Elizabeth delighted royal fans today as she stood smiling and unaided in her first meeting since spraining her back.
But a picture showing her hands to be a shade of purple has sparked conversation about the 95-year-old monarch’s health – and whether the courtiers need to turn the heating on at Windsor Castle.
Her Majesty, who has been on doctors’ orders to rest for over a month, held a face-to-face audience on Wednesday with General Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of the Defence Staff.
In pictures released by Buckingham Palace, both the Queen and General Sir Carter’s hands look dark purple.
Woman notices the Costa Christmas coffee cup has a hidden rude symbol, and other top stories from November 17, 2021. While it could just be the lighting in the room causing the effect, purple skin can be a sign of poor circulation.
This can happen in cold weather, which causes your blood vessels and arteries to narrow, restricting blood flow and reducing oxygen to the heart.
Queen holds in-person audience with military chief after missing Cenotaph event Queen Elizabeth II receives General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, during an audience in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle (Picture: PA)
Dr Jay Verma, from the Shakespeare Medical Centre, told Metro.co.uk: ‘It might be Raynaud’s phenomenon or just really cold hands! The purple is due to deoxygenated blood.’
According the the NHS, Raynaud’s phenomenon is common and does not usually cause severe problems. It can be treated by keeping warm and will usually go away after a few minutes or hours.
A purple hue was seen on the Queen’s hands back in 2019, when royals from Jordan came to visit (Picture: Getty)
The Queen has previously been pictured with a purplish blemish on her hands, when royals from Jordan came to visit back in 2019.
According to Dr Giuseppe Aragona, GP and Online Doctor for Prescription Doctor, there are several medical explanations for why the darker hue has returned.
He said: ‘There could be a few different reasons for why the Queen’s hands are so purple: a lack of circulation, frail skin, exposed veins, bruising, a leakage of blood to the tissue beneath the skin causing the colour.
‘It could be Cyanosis which occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the blood.
‘Blood which has a normal amount of oxygen is a deep red and means your skin is its normal colour, however low oxygenated blood is bluer which causes your skin to have a purple hue.
‘It is known that Cyanosis can develop quicker if the person has suffered a minor health problem, so this could be linked to her recent injury.’
Buckingham Palace confirmed in a last-minute announcement on Sunday that the Queen had sprained her back and would not be able to attend the Remembrance service at the Cenotaph.
The event, to pay tribute to the war dead, has long been one of the most important in the monarch’s calendar, and was widely expected to be her first public appearance after cancelling other engagements due to doctors’ advice.
Prince Charles briefly raised concerns about his own health when his hands appeared swollen during a tour of India in 2019 (Picture: EPA)
Queen Elizabeth II receives General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, during an audience in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle (Picture: PA)
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