King Charles reveals his hand is not working properly

King Charles proved once again that a royal sense of humour is the best kind of medicine as he met veterans at Chatfield Health Care in Battersea, South West London on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025.

The monarch chuckled that his arm contained “endless plates and screws,” adding with a grin, “All that’s left of you when you drop dead is made in Switzerland.”

The quip came as he chatted with ex-Army personnel benefiting from the centre’s specialist care for veterans that gives extra understanding to those who once served in the forces.

Charles surprised unsuspecting patients in the waiting room who had only expected to see their GP, not a King in full conversational stride.

He later sat down for tea with five veterans, including David Wiggins, who sported a cast on his left arm after a cycling mishap in Richmond Park.

When Wiggins explained he’d needed three plates to fix his fractures, the King couldn’t resist the comparison. 

But behind the giggle, the King offered heartfelt praise for the centre’s dedication to former service members.

“I hadn’t realised there was this marvellous effort in specialising with veterans in GP practices,” he said. “It’s clearly making a big difference.”

Dr Shane Barker, who led the royal tour, explained that veterans often struggle to seek help because they “don’t want to burden anyone” and prefer to “sort it out themselves.”

Charles nodded sympathetically. “The difficulty, I suspect, is that when you leave the forces you’re leaving that whole family of your unit,” he said. 

“You’re suddenly left wondering what to do, it must be a great help?”

Engineer Ben Williams, who joined the army at 19, summed it up perfectly, “It’s phenomenal,” he said. 

“It’s individualising care to the specific needs of the individual.”