How Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle’s feet have bunions and fallen arches after glitzy royal events took their toll
ROYAL life with red carpet events and glittering balls certainly seems glamorous, but frequent outings in high heels can take a serious toll on one’s feet.
A podiatrist has pointed out that both Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are members of the not-so-exclusive bunion-suffering club, along with numerous celebrities.
We rarely see the polished royals without shoes, but got a glimpse of bare-footed Kate during a royal tour to India and Bhutan four years ago.
The Duchess of Cambridge slipped off her shoes during a visit to the Gandhi Smiriti museum and experts said many years of wearing high, pointed heels could have had an effect on her toes and “low arches”.
Meghan Markle may have gone a step further and had secret and agonising bunion surgery in a quest to get perfect feet, a surgeon says.
After ditching her favourite Manolo Blahnik heels, the Duchess of Sussex went barefoot for a formal Māori welcoming ceremony in New Zealand during her first royal tour and a small faded scar can be seen on the inside of her left foot.
What are bunions and how are they caused?
Bunions are bony lumps that can form on the side of the feet and cause pain.
Having bunions is nothing to be ashamed of and affects 10 million women in the UK and 36 per cent of all over-65s.
Even high heel-loving Victoria Beckham, Amal Clooney and Tilda Swinton have experienced them.
Studies show they are down to genetics, but poorly-fitting footwear can exacerbate the problem.
Consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon for BMI Shirley Oaks hospital, Kumar Kunasingam claimed: “Meghan’s scar is 100 per cent due to open bunion surgery.
“While the scar is only 4-5cm long, this type of surgery can be very painful and it can take up to three months before patients can wear heels again."
Meghan - whose designer shoe collection is worth thousands and includes heels from Aquazzura, Manolo Blahnik and Stuart Weitzmann - is thought to have had surgery in 2014 after suffering bunions for at least four years.
But will we see Kate go down a similar route as Meghan?
Podiatrist Neil Blitz told Fabulous that bunion surgery poses can be risky, and the bunion may even come back over time.
He said: “Since bunion surgery involves cutting or fusing bones to achieve an improved alignment, bone healing must occur and some people may have poor bone healing.”
He added that “bones typically take six to eight weeks to recover” which could be tricky for the royals given they don’t time to be off their feet for two months.
Toe-curling and painful
By CAROL COOPER, Sun Doctor
BUNIONS are bony lumps on the insides of the feet and make the big toes point in the wrong direction.
Wearing wide shoes with soft soles and bunion pads can ease the pain but won’t get rid of the bunions. And they tend only to get worse.
Surgery involves removing the bony lump and realigning the toe.
It takes weeks to recover as it’s difficult to walk afterwards and the skin of the foot may not heal as well as skin elsewhere on the body.
But the result tends to be very good and the scar is pretty acceptable to look at, as in Meghan’s case.
Having bunions is nothing to be ashamed of and they affect 10 million women in the UK and 36 per cent of all over-65s.
Even high heel-loving Victoria Beckham, Amal Clooney and Tilda Swinton have experienced them.
Studies show they are down to genetics, but poorly-fitting footwear can exacerbate the problem.
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