The stepson of explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is calling for his mother to be removed from control of the 82-year-old’s affairs, as his family and friends remain unaware of his whereabouts.
Earlier this week, it emerged that the retired explorer and author—whose disappearance first raised questions after he failed to attend a gala held in his honour in 2024—had been living in several care facilities under an assumed name, allegedly on the instructions of his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes.
During his time at a rural Welsh care home, Louise Millington-Cotes, now Lady Fiennes, is alleged to have imposed strict restrictions on Sir Ranulph. He was reportedly required to remain in his room, prevented from socialising and barred from communal areas.
When he did leave his room, including for walks, he was reportedly made to wear sunglasses, a hat and gloves as a disguise to avoid being recognised.
Documents seen by the Daily Mail also indicated that the care home owner had raised concerns about unusual medication arrangements introduced by Lady Fiennes, as well as the validity of a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ document she had supplied.
The revelations have prompted outrage among Sir Ranulph’s relatives, who are calling for an urgent investigation into his care and living arrangements.
The family has also accused the Office of the Public Guardian of failing to act on repeated requests to examine concerns about the explorer’s welfare.
Sir Ranulph’s stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, has now launched a crowdfunding appeal to help build a legal case seeking the removal of his mother’s power of attorney.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes was reportedly found living in several care homes under an alias. The celebrated explorer has not been seen in public for almost two years
Sir Ranulph with his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes. Lady Fiennes is alleged to have imposed strict restrictions, including keeping him in his room and preventing him from using communal areas or socialising
Speaking to The Times, the 31-year-old said his “personal ambition would be to just see that power taken away from my mother” and transferred to someone who would ensure his stepfather’s wishes were respected.
“I want to be able to give him the opportunity to go out for coffee, to see someone who he might want to see with complete freedom, anyone at all,” he added.
Arabella McIntyre-Brown, the sister of Sir Ranulph’s late first wife, Ginny, told The Daily Telegraph that reports about the physical condition of Sir Ranulph, who has Parkinson’s disease, were “very worrying”.
She said: “We—Ran’s family and close friends—have been very concerned for his safety and mental wellbeing, and by the fact that he has been isolated for so long.”
“Reports of his physical wellbeing are also very worrying. He’s a tough fellow, but he’s only human. The sooner the OPG moves, the better.”
Sir Ranulph was last seen in public at a Royal Geographical Society gala held in his honour in October 2024. He appeared briefly in a pre-recorded video, apologising that he was not “well enough” to attend in person.
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Since then, several close friends have attempted to contact him, largely without success, leaving them increasingly anxious about his condition and whereabouts.
The latest claims are expected to intensify those concerns and increase pressure for an investigation into his welfare.
Sir Ranulph during his first unsupported crossing of Antarctica in 1992
Sir Ranulph and Lady Louise together in 2008. His stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, has launched a crowdfunding appeal to support a legal challenge to his mother’s power of attorney
The ‘disappearance’ of Sir Ranulph, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, was the subject of a Daily Mail investigation last Saturday headlined: ‘Where on earth is Ranulph Fiennes?’
The truth is that during one year alone he was shunted between five different facilities – four care homes and a hotel – all over the country.
He arrived at the Welsh establishment on January 21 and spent 49 days there.
His wife Louise Millington-Cotes – ‘Millington’ being the alias she gave Sir Ranulph – who at 59, is 23 years younger than he is – has lasting power of attorney over her husband’s property and financial affairs as well as his health and welfare, granted to her at around the time of the National Geographic tribute.
In other words, she has substantial control over her husband, which is not unusual considering his rapidly failing health.
Nonetheless, the Care Inspectorate of Wales concluded that her husband – they were married in 2005 and have a daughter Elizabeth, Sir Ranulph’s only child – was being unlawfully ‘deprived of his liberty’ because Lady Fiennes did not have the authorisation which covered his residence.
Lady Fiennes also failed to provide any medication list from a doctor or prescriber despite repeated requests, the owner told the Mail, and insisted that Sir Ranulph stayed under his private GP in London which meant he could not be registered locally like their other residents.
She supplied all of his medication and some of the antibiotics he was given were in her name, not his.
The wife also asked a manager to vary some of his doses of medication but staff refused to do so without a written prescription.
‘That left the home with no clinical oversight of him at all,’ the owner said. ‘No doctor saw him in the 49 days he was with us.’
And now most alarming to all Sir Ranulph’s close friends, his whereabouts are, once again, unknown.
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