Whenever we see King Charles, he tends to be in formal attire, be it a sharp shirt, a well-pressed suit or royal regalia, with his arms tend to be covered.
However, in his younger years, the royal used to wear short-sleeved garments, which revealed a long, angry-looking scar running the length of his sculpted bicep.
King Charles' scar was visible during a game of polo
How did King Charles get his scar?
The long scar was obtained following a three-hour surgery the then 42-year-old had in 1990, to remedy a broken elbow that he injured during a polo match. Gail Burbage, the NHS nurse who cared for him at the time, gave details on his operation.
King Charles has a scar on his arm from a polo accident
She shared that Charles had a three-hour operation before residing in a normal side room on the ward, with a small bay occupied by his security team and personal assistants throughout his week-long stay.
"It was an honour to care for him. He was personable, chatty – the ideal patient. Of course, we had certain protocol we had to follow but he kept it all light-hearted and made it easy for us," Gail shared of Charles' time in hospital, adding they had to keep it a secret.
Charles brought his own chefs to the hospital for his stay as he didn’t want to cause any unnecessary work for the catering staff. Despite this, he was curious to sample the food – though his stay needed to be kept secret.
"I went to the ward next door to get a menu. We came up with a plan to order a meal for him using a made-up name so no-one would know it was for the Prince. He ate it off the plastic trays we used at the time. He said it was really well-balanced," Gail revealed, before adding: "When he was able to start moving around, he would stop and speak to everyone – nurses, doctors, porters, cleaners – he wanted to know how we operated."
It wasn't all fun and games though, as the royal had to take some serious painkillers, using a PCAS pump, which administers pain relief.
After his stay, Charles sent Christmas cards and gifts from Harrods to all the staff that had cared for him, and even sent a letter, which read: "I hope the bones will mend properly and allow me to, finally, escape from slings and plaster."
He added: "Forgive me for the awful writing, but I am now trying to rediscover how to write with my right hand."
King Charles isn't the only royal family member with a scar…
During a game of golf at his school in Wokingham in 1991, the future king was hit on the head by a golf club while playing with his school friends. The hapless accident resulted in a fractured skull that saw the then eight-year-old undergoing a 70-minute operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, followed by an overnight stay.
William's mother, Princess Diana stayed with him overnight, and the following morning, his brother Prince Harry was his first visitor, spending 15 minutes chatting before heading to school.
King Charles visited his young son after the injury, then left the hospital to go to the opera but kept in touch with doctors, the palace reported at the time.
Prince William spoke about his injury 18 years later, during a chat with a 10-year-old cancer patient for BBC's Newsround.
"I got hit by a golf club when I was playing golf with a friend of mine," the royal said. "We were on a putting green and the next thing you know there was a seven-iron and it came out of nowhere and it hit me in the head."
He went on to explain that his scar sometimes 'glows' like Harry Potter's famous lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
"It glows sometimes and some people notice it - other times they don't notice it at all."
Princess Kate's childhood scar
Princess Kate has a three-inch scar running along her temple on the left-hand side of her head, which caused royal watchers to speculate over how she sustained the injury, with some suggesting she was injured in a hockey match.
Keen to put rumours to bed, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace toldE! Newsin 2011: "The scar is related to a childhood operation."
No further details were given and Princess Kate has never spoken about undergoing surgery in her childhood.
Princess Eugenie's scoliosis scar
Princess Eugenie has a scar running down her back from surgery she had aged 12. The royal had titanium added to her spine to rebuild it as a result of a curvature, leaving her with a scar which she showed in her wedding dress.
King Charles wore an eye patch following a gardening accident
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© Photo: Getty Images
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