After news of a mystery health scare and suffering from a sprained back, Queen Elizabeth II has thankfully returned to ‘light duties’ after pulling out of several engagements over the past few weeks.

However, her latest outing raised another wave of concerns.

On Wednesday, the 95-year-old monarch met with General Sir Nick Carter, the outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, at Windsor Castle.

While people were pleasantly surprised to witness Her Majesty return to work, they have also noticed one detail in the official press photos that cause some worry.

The Queen’s hands appeared to look unusually purple in the photos, which were taken in the castle’s Oak Room.

Royal watchers expressed concerns about the colour of the Queen’s hands. Photo credit: Steve Parsons – Pool/Getty Images.​

In pictures released by Buckingham Palace, both the Queen and General Sir Carter’s hands look dark purple. While it could just be the lighting in the room causing the effect, purple skin can be a sign of poor circulation.

Health experts from Mayo Clinic suggested that the phenomenon could be linked to Raynaud’s phenomenon, a problem that causes decreased blood flow to the fingers. They explained that the health issue causes blood vessels in the hands and feet to overreact to cold temperatures or stress.

Raynaud’s phenomenon is common and does not usually cause severe problems. It goes away after a few minutes (sometimes hours) and can be treated by just keeping warm.

Just last week, we also reported on Prince Charles sharing an update on the Queen’s health.

“She’s alright,” the future King replied when asked about his mother’s condition.

“Once you get to 95, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be. It’s bad enough at 73,” he added.

This is not the first time Queen Elizabeth II has been seen with purplish hands.

In November 2019, Her Majesty posed for a photo with King Abdullah and Queen Noor of Jordan, showing her bare hands which appeared to have a purple bruise.

Buckingham Palace never released any statement on both occasions.

 

[Xe]

I just think it's amazing she does all she does at her age

 

[Vinylted]

It's the dreaded O.L.D. syndrome.

 

[JayKay]

Raynaud's Disease is very painful, caused by poor circulation.
Perhaps dear Queen Liz has magnesium deficiency, which can cause spasms of blood vessels resulting in poor circulation leading to discolouration.

 

[Alexander]

How on earth does she keep going!! She is a wonder and an inspiration to us all.

 

[Liz]

I have Raynaud's and it doesn't stop you doing things. The Queen is amazing the way she keeps on going, she is an inspiration to all of us as we get on in years.

 

[Jumbody]

I wish the media would just leave her alone.

 

[Phyll]

Look closer both people in the picture appear to have purple hands .

 

[Grannie Sam]

Look closer both people in the picture appear to have purple hands .

It mentions that right under the photo!

 

[youngoldlady]

The Queen is going well for a person of her age. She is certainly sticking to her promise of serving until she can not.

 

[DrivingGirl]

I think the bruise on her right hand is likely from an unsuccessful blood test. Her veins won’t be as good as they were and they may have tried a couple of times.
My hand looked exactly like that after a minor procedure that required a catheter