RANULPH FIENNES FAMILY CLAIMS POLICE AND AUTHORITIES IGNORED PLEAS FOR HELP AS CONCERNS GROW OVER EXPLORER’S CARE

The family of legendary British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is demanding answers after repeated concerns were reportedly raised with police and authorities over his care — yet his whereabouts remain unknown.

The 82-year-old explorer, who has not been seen publicly for more than two years, has reportedly been moved between several care homes under an assumed name.

His family and friends are now calling for an urgent investigation into his welfare and the arrangements made for his care by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, who holds lasting power of attorney relating to him.

The allegations emerged after the owner of a care home in Wales reportedly contacted authorities, including police and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), with concerns about Fiennes’ circumstances.

A watchdog later concluded that, during his stay at that facility, he was being “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” because the required legal safeguards were not in place.

FAMILY SAYS AUTHORITIES DID NOT RESPOND

Fiennes’ stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, has said he contacted the OPG’s safeguarding team after becoming concerned about his stepfather.

He told The Guardian that he had tried multiple ways to locate Fiennes and was now seeking specialist legal advice to establish where he is and ensure his welfare.

Millington-Cotes has launched a crowdfunding campaign with a target of £55,000 to fund legal assistance, including efforts to locate and safeguard Fiennes and challenge his mother’s lasting power of attorney.

He said he had visited different care homes in an attempt to find his stepfather but had so far been unsuccessful.

The situation has also alarmed Fiennes’ longtime friends.

Veteran BBC journalist John Simpson said he was “horrified” by reports concerning his friend and wanted to provide authorities with everything he knew.

Television presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle has also called for the OPG and police to investigate.

A CARE HOME RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS

The controversy began after Fiennes spent around seven weeks in a care home in Wales earlier this year.

According to reports, the home’s owner became concerned about restrictions placed on the explorer’s care.

The owner reportedly contacted the OPG and other authorities over issues including his medical arrangements and a do-not-resuscitate document supplied by his wife.

The care home owner also reportedly raised concerns with the Care Inspectorate Wales.

Following an urgent review, the watchdog reportedly concluded that Fiennes was under continuous supervision and control, was not free to leave and was unable to consent to his care, treatment and accommodation.

Because there was no appropriate authorisation reflecting those restrictions, the watchdog said he was being unlawfully deprived of his liberty and that an urgent application under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) process was required.

The care home owner reportedly told investigators that Fiennes’ wife supplied his medication and imposed detailed instructions concerning his day-to-day care.

These allegations have not been tested in a criminal court.

HE WAS MOVED BETWEEN CARE HOMES

Reports indicate that Fiennes has spent time in care facilities in London, Wales and Cheshire.

At one London facility, visitors were reportedly required to sign non-disclosure agreements before seeing him.

His stepson recently travelled to a care home in Cheshire in an attempt to see him, but staff reportedly told him that Fiennes was no longer there.

That has intensified fears among relatives and friends who say they have been unable to establish where the explorer currently is.

Fiennes was last seen publicly in October 2024.

FRIENDS SPEAK OUT

Some of Britain’s best-known adventurers have now publicly expressed concern.

Bear Grylls, who has known Fiennes for years, said he and others had been desperately trying to contact him.

Grylls called Fiennes a “true British icon” and said it was time for the OPG and police to investigate urgently.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who shared an adventure documentary with Fiennes, also expressed concern about his inability to contact his longtime friend.

Television presenter Monty Don has similarly called for an investigation, describing Fiennes as one of the most inspirational and kindest people he has known.

Actress and television presenter Joanna Lumley, another longtime friend, said she was troubled that Fiennes’ friends had been unable to discover where he was or how he was doing.

POLICE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED

Reports say police visited a care home in Cheshire earlier this month after friends raised concerns about Fiennes’ welfare.

However, by the time officers arrived, Fiennes was reportedly no longer there.

The circumstances have prompted questions about whether earlier warnings were adequately followed up.

The OPG, which oversees lasting powers of attorney and can investigate concerns involving people who may lack capacity to make decisions for themselves, has said it cannot comment on individual cases.

A spokesperson explained that a lasting power of attorney is intended to ensure that important care and financial decisions are made by someone trusted when a person lacks the capacity to make those decisions.

WHO IS SIR RANULPH FIENNES?

Fiennes is one of Britain’s most celebrated explorers.

Over a career spanning decades, he has undertaken numerous expeditions and endurance challenges, becoming internationally known for his attempts to reach some of the world’s most remote and hostile environments.

Now aged 82, he has largely disappeared from public life.

The sudden lack of contact has become particularly troubling for people who knew him as an active and independent adventurer.

His friends and relatives now want authorities to establish where he is, how he is being cared for and whether the legal arrangements governing his care are appropriate.

THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN

For now, the allegations surrounding Fiennes’ care remain under scrutiny.

There has been no court finding that his wife committed a criminal offence, and the reported concerns should not be treated as established wrongdoing.

But the Care Inspectorate Wales’ finding concerning the legality of his deprivation of liberty, combined with reports of repeated warnings to authorities and the inability of friends and family to locate him, has prompted growing calls for an investigation.

His stepson says the goal is ultimately simple: to locate Fiennes and make sure he is safe.

For a man who spent much of his life exploring some of the most inaccessible places on Earth, the fact that his closest friends now say they do not know where he is has left those who love him deeply concerned.

And the question at the centre of the growing controversy remains: Where is Sir Ranulph Fiennes — and why have so many people struggled to find him?