Sir Ranulph Fiennes was reportedly “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” after his wife arranged for him to live in a succession of care homes following his disappearance from public view two years ago.
The 82-year-old explorer and author, whose whereabouts became the subject of speculation after he missed a 2024 gala held in his honour, is understood to have stayed at several care facilities under an assumed name. His wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, is also said to have imposed strict instructions governing his care.
The owner of one of the homes where Sir Ranulph lived reportedly became concerned about his welfare and contacted both the authorities and police.
The Welsh care-home owner is said to have written to the Office of the Public Guardian, raising concerns about unusual medical arrangements ordered by Ms Millington-Cotes. Those concerns included whether a “do not resuscitate” document she supplied was valid.
Earlier this year, a care watchdog concluded that Sir Ranulph had been deprived of his liberty unlawfully because the required legal safeguards had not been put in place by his wife.
The revelations come as Ms Millington-Cotes, 59, remains embroiled in a dispute with Sir Ranulph’s relatives and friends over his care. Some are reportedly considering legal action to challenge her role as his guardian.
Friends have previously voiced fears for the explorer’s wellbeing, claiming his wife refused to disclose his location or permit visits. Before he disappeared from public life, Sir Ranulph had spoken openly about the difficulties of living with Parkinson’s disease.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who has not been seen in public for two years, was reportedly placed in a succession of care homes by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes
The owner of a care facility where former explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes stayed reportedly raised concerns about his welfare with authorities and police
The report comes amid a dispute between Sir Ranulph’s wife, family and friends over his care (Sir Ranulph pictured with King Charles in London in 2012)
Questions about his whereabouts arose after Sir Ranulph failed to attend a Royal Geographical Society gala celebrating his life on October 23, 2024. He appeared only in a short pre-recorded video and has not been publicly seen since.
Sir Ranulph reportedly spent part of last year at a London care home, where visitors were allegedly required by his wife to sign non-disclosure agreements before seeing him.
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He was later transferred to facilities in Wales and Cheshire. Apart from his wife and daughter, Elizabeth, his precise whereabouts were reportedly unknown to those close to him.
During his stay at the Welsh facility, Mrs Millington-Cotes hired a private carer to provide his medication and daily care rather than registering him with a general practitioner.
The care-home owner had warned Mrs Millington-Cotes that a deprivation of liberty safeguards, or DoLS, authorisation was needed. However, she reportedly failed to secure one.
The owner subsequently contacted the Care Inspectorate Wales. In January, the watchdog concluded that Sir Ranulph had been “deprived of his liberty unlawfully” because no authorised arrangement reflected his current residence and the restrictions imposed on him. It said he was “under continuous supervision and control”, was not free to leave and could not consent to his care, treatment or accommodation.
The facility then informed Mrs Millington-Cotes about the seriousness and legal implications of the situation. She reportedly opposed the home applying for a DoLS authorisation, and none had been obtained by the time Sir Ranulph left the facility.
Sir Ranulph was registered at the Welsh home under a false name, according to reports. His wife also allegedly instructed that he wear a hat, sunglasses and gloves during walks with his carer so he would not be recognised.
The facility also questioned a do-not-resuscitate order supplied by Mrs Millington-Cotes, saying it could not verify the document.
The care-home owner said they had not contacted the Office of the Public Guardian about a resident for more than eight years.
Sir Ranulph married Mrs Millington-Cotes following the death of his first wife, Virginia ‘Ginny’ Fiennes, in 2004 from cancer.
At 38, Louise Millington-Cotes, a horse trainer from Cheshire, was 23 years younger than Sir Ranulph. He became a father for the first time shortly after they were married, when their daughter Elizabeth was born. His friends – many of whom were not invited to the wedding – spoke of being cut out since the marriage.
The Daily Mail was unable to contact Ms Millington-Cotes for comment.
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