“NO LUCK SO FAR” — RANULPH FIENNES’ FAMILY SAYS POLICE HAVE NOT RESPONDED AS CONCERNS GROW OVER EXPLORER’S WHEREABOUTS

Sir Ranulph Fiennes has not been seen publicly for more than two years. Now his stepson says repeated attempts to get police help in locating the 82-year-old explorer have produced “no luck,” as questions intensify over his care and whereabouts.

For years, Sir Ranulph Fiennes was known for going where few other people would dare to go.

He crossed Antarctica on foot.

He reached the summit of Mount Everest at 65.

He became one of Britain’s best-known explorers.

But now, at 82, the man who spent his life crossing some of the most remote places on Earth has become the subject of a very different search.

His stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, says he has been unable to see him for more than a year and does not know where he currently is.

He says he has contacted police forces in areas where he believes Sir Ranulph may have been placed in care.

So far, he says, he has received little response.

“It’s a real challenge because I don’t think anyone quite knows where he is,” Millington-Cotes told The Telegraph.

A MISSING EXPLORER

Sir Ranulph has not appeared in public since October 2024.

His last known public appearance was at an event connected to the Royal Geographical Society, where he was due to attend a gala held in his honour.

Instead, he delivered a short prerecorded message saying he was not well enough to attend in person.

Since then, his absence has become increasingly concerning to friends and members of his extended family.

Sir Ranulph has Parkinson’s disease and is now 82.

His second wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, 59, holds lasting power of attorney relating to his care.

According to reports based on an investigation by The Telegraph, Sir Ranulph has spent time in a number of care homes, including facilities in London, Wales and Cheshire.

His family and friends say they have struggled to maintain contact with him.

The exact circumstances of his current care and whereabouts remain unclear.

HIS STEPSON SAYS POLICE HAVE NOT HELPED

Alexander Millington-Cotes, 31, is Louise Millington-Cotes’s son and Sir Ranulph’s stepson.

He says he has tried to establish where his stepfather is and whether he is safe.

He has contacted Cheshire Constabulary, after learning that Sir Ranulph had been moved to a care facility in Cheshire earlier this year.

He also contacted West Mercia Police, whose area includes Shropshire, where the family home is located.

But Millington-Cotes says the efforts have not produced an answer.

“I’m trying to establish from the police what they’re doing… I’ve tried to get in touch but no luck so far,” he said.

He recently travelled to a care home in Cheshire where he believed Sir Ranulph had been staying.

Staff told him his stepfather was no longer there.

That left him facing the same question:

Where is Ranulph Fiennes now?

Cheshire Constabulary has said it could neither confirm nor deny whether officers had visited the Cheshire care home, according to reporting by The Telegraph. West Mercia Police had not responded to questions at the time of the latest reports.

CONCERNS FROM A CARE HOME IN WALES

The latest controversy began with concerns raised by the owner of a care home in Wales.

Sir Ranulph reportedly spent approximately seven weeks at the facility earlier this year before being moved elsewhere.

According to the reported investigation, the care home owner contacted authorities after becoming concerned about the arrangements surrounding his care.

The owner reportedly contacted the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and the Care Inspectorate of Wales.

The concerns included how Sir Ranulph’s medication was being provided and a “do not resuscitate” document supplied by his wife.

The care home owner also reportedly raised concerns about restrictions placed on Sir Ranulph’s movements and visitors.

The Care Inspectorate of Wales reportedly concluded that the legal safeguards required for a deprivation of liberty were not in place.

An email seen by The Telegraph reportedly stated that Sir Ranulph was under continuous supervision and control, was not free to leave and was unable to consent to his care, treatment and accommodation.

The inspectorate therefore said an urgent application for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) was required.

That finding relates to the specific care-home arrangements described in the report. It does not by itself establish that Sir Ranulph is currently being unlawfully deprived of his liberty.

ALLEGATIONS ABOUT HIS IDENTITY

Another extraordinary detail concerns the name under which Sir Ranulph was reportedly admitted to care facilities.

The Telegraph reported that he had been placed in care homes under a pseudonym.

According to the reports, staff were told that he was a former SAS man whose life could potentially be at risk from extremists.

The care home owner reportedly became concerned because his medication was labelled with his real name while staff were apparently expected to use the alternative identity.

There were also reported instructions concerning his appearance.

According to the investigation, Sir Ranulph was allegedly required to wear a hat, sunglasses and gloves in public so that people would not recognise him.

Visitors to one London care facility were reportedly asked to sign non-disclosure agreements before seeing him.

These claims have not been independently established by a court.

Mrs Millington-Cotes has not publicly responded to the allegations, and The Independent reported that attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.

THE LAST TIME HIS STEPSON SAW HIM

For Alexander, the issue is deeply personal.

He says the last time he saw Sir Ranulph was roughly two years ago.

He recalled arriving at the family property after becoming estranged from his mother.

According to his account, he had to climb over a security gate to get inside.

Sir Ranulph then came towards him.

The two men walked away from the house together so they could speak privately.

Millington-Cotes said his stepfather told him he was proud of him.

They hugged.

It would become their last known meeting.

“I saw him gleaming the occasional times I would appear unannounced with some sweet treats,” Millington-Cotes said in an account published by The Guardian.

He described Sir Ranulph as a man who had shown him kindness and support throughout his life.

Now he wants nothing more complicated than to speak to him again.

“I just want to be able to see him, for him to be able to see who he wants to, go where he wants with any support that he might need,” he told The Telegraph.

FRIENDS ARE ALSO DEMANDING ANSWERS

The concerns are not limited to family members.

Several of Sir Ranulph’s famous friends have publicly called for authorities to examine the situation.

Veteran BBC journalist John Simpson said he was “horrified” by reports about his friend and said authorities needed to know what was happening to him.

Adventurer Bear Grylls said he and others had been trying to contact Sir Ranulph for more than a year.

He called for the Office of the Public Guardian and police to investigate.

Ben Fogle also said he was deeply disturbed by reports concerning Sir Ranulph’s care and called for an investigation.

Their statements do not establish what happened to Sir Ranulph.

But they demonstrate the growing concern among people who know him.

A £55,000 LEGAL FUNDRAISER

Millington-Cotes has now launched a crowdfunding campaign seeking approximately £55,000.

The money is intended to pay for specialist legal advice and representation as he attempts to establish Sir Ranulph’s whereabouts and challenge the lasting power of attorney held by his mother.

According to The Guardian, the campaign is intended to help “locate and safeguard” the explorer.

Millington-Cotes has said any excess money would be donated to charities associated with Sir Ranulph, including Marie Curie and the British Heart Foundation.

His campaign reflects the seriousness of the situation from his perspective.

He does not simply want information.

He wants to be able to speak directly to his stepfather and understand what Sir Ranulph himself wants.

THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN

At the centre of the dispute is the Office of the Public Guardian, which oversees certain aspects of lasting powers of attorney in England and Wales.

Family members and friends have reportedly contacted the OPG asking it to examine the arrangements surrounding Sir Ranulph’s care.

Millington-Cotes says he recently spoke with the organisation’s safeguarding team and provided additional information.

He says he has not yet received a substantive response.

An OPG spokesperson said the organisation could not comment on individual cases.

It said a lasting power of attorney is intended to ensure decisions about care and finances can be made by someone trusted when an individual lacks the capacity to make those decisions themselves.

HIS WIFE HAS NOT PUBLICLY ANSWERED THE ALLEGATIONS

The allegations concerning Sir Ranulph’s care have been made by family members, friends and people connected with care facilities.

They are not established findings of a court.

Mrs Millington-Cotes has not publicly provided a detailed response to the allegations in the reports, and attempts by journalists to contact her have reportedly not received a response.

That leaves important questions unanswered.

Why was Sir Ranulph moved between different care facilities?

Why were some visitors reportedly restricted?

Why was he allegedly registered under another name?

Where is he now?

And most importantly, what does Sir Ranulph himself want?

THE EXPLORER WHO SPENT HIS LIFE PUSHING BOUNDARIES

Sir Ranulph Fiennes built his reputation by repeatedly attempting things that seemed almost impossible.

He became the first person to reach both the North and South Poles by surface means.

He crossed Antarctica on foot.

He climbed Everest.

He endured frostbite and lost fingers during his expeditions.

His life has been defined by endurance, risk and exploration.

Now the focus is no longer on a frozen continent or a remote mountain.

It is on his welfare.

His family says they cannot find him.

His friends say they have been unable to contact him.

A care watchdog reportedly raised concerns about the legality of restrictions imposed during one period of residential care.

And police have been approached for assistance in establishing his whereabouts.

“WE MUST KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING TO HIM”

For Alexander Millington-Cotes, the dispute is ultimately about his stepfather’s right to have a voice in his own life.

He says he wants Sir Ranulph to be able to choose where he lives, who he sees and what kind of support he receives.

The legal campaign is now underway.

Police responses remain unclear.

The Office of the Public Guardian has been asked to examine the concerns.

And Sir Ranulph’s current whereabouts remain unknown to several people close to him.

The man who spent a lifetime travelling to the ends of the Earth has now become the subject of a search much closer to home.

His family is asking one simple question:

Where is Ranulph Fiennes — and is he safe?

For now, there is no publicly established answer.