Prince Charles seen with swollen hands and feet during India visit ahead of 71st birthday
Prince Charles was pictured with unusually swollen hands and feet during the first day of his royal tour to India on Tuesday, November 13.
The 70-year-old British royal sparked health concerns he was seen with considerably red and swollen fingers and toes when he removed his shoes to step into Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, a prominent Sikh temple in New Delhi. However, the Prince of Wales was in good spirits and did not appear to be in any apparent discomfort as he participated in a number of engagements of the day.
Being an advocate of preventing climate change, Charles took a ride in a silent battery-powered rickshaw in the Indian capital. Before beginning his less-than-a-mile ride, he even joked with his entourage, asking them, "Are you going to run behind?"
After that, he traveled to the temple, where he covered his head with a scarf as a mark of respect and took off his shoes and socks and entered the place of worship barefoot. Charles was presented with multi-colored scarves which he wrapped around his neck during his tour of the place.
He even took the time to visit the kitchens to watch helpers at work, as they cooked food to feed the thousands that throng the place everyday. The royal member also tried his hand at turning over the chapatis (flatbreads) on a hot plate using a long metal skewer.
The prince will be celebrating his 71st birthday on Thursday with a meeting in Mumbai about sustainability. Before flying to India, Charles also penned his first personal Instagram post, dedicating it to the 550th birth anniversary of the Sikh Community's religious leader.
"As I depart for India, on my tenth official visit, I did just want to convey my warmest best wishes to all of you in the Sikh Community in the United Kingdom, and across the Commonwealth, on the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji," he wrote. "The principles on which Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion, and which guide your lives to this day, are ones which can inspire us all – hard work, fairness, respect, and selfless service to others."
The post added: "In embodying these values, Sikhs have made the most profound contribution to the life of this country, and continue to do so, in every imaginable field, just as you do in so many other places around the world. This week, as Sikhs everywhere honor the founder of your faith, my wife and I wanted you to know just how much your community is valued and admired by us all, and that our thoughts are with you at this very special time. HRH The Prince of Wales."