Some of Britain’s most prominent explorers are calling on police to examine the unexplained disappearance of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, after his family’s appeals for assistance were allegedly ignored. Their message to the veteran adventurer is clear: “We are coming.”
Sir Ranulph, 82, has Parkinson’s disease and has not been seen in public for more than two years. Reports claim his second wife gave him an assumed name and moved him between several care homes.
His stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, says he has made little progress in persuading two police forces to investigate. Fellow adventurers, including Bear Grylls and Ben Fogle, have now joined calls for authorities to act.
One of the forces has declined to say whether it plans to investigate, while the other has yet to issue a public response.
At the same time, public backing for the family has grown. More than £15,000 has been donated to a crowdfunding campaign supporting Mr Millington-Cotes’s legal efforts.
Often hailed as the world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph has completed feats including seven marathons in seven days across seven continents. He also climbed Everest at the age of 65, just four years after suffering a heart attack.
He married Louise Millington-Cotes in 2005, just over a year after the death of his first wife. She is 23 years younger than Sir Ranulph. Alexander, who describes himself as estranged from his mother, alleges that her behaviour became increasingly “dominating” after the marriage.
Friends and a business associate gave The Mail on Sunday a similar account. One said Sir Ranulph had complained that he was “only ever being allowed 24 hours at a time away from her”.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his second wife Louise Millington-Cotes, pictured after returning to Britain following a failed attempt to climb Everest
Sir Ranulph pictured with TV adventurer Ben Fogle, who has called on police to investigate the ‘very troubling’ way his friend is being kept ‘isolated’
Friends and relatives say Louise was reportedly granted lasting power of attorney over Sir Ranulph in 2024. They initially remained able to visit the couple at a London care home, but were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before doing so.
Since then, however, Sir Ranulph has reportedly been moved through a series of care homes under a false name. The Care Inspectorate concluded that he had been unlawfully deprived of his liberty.
For months, Mr Millington-Cotes has been attempting to locate his stepfather and establish whether he is safe and receiving proper care.
He has approached Cheshire Police, because one of the homes where Sir Ranulph is believed to have stayed is in the county. He also contacted West Mercia Police, where the couple previously lived, but says neither effort has produced results.
“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 told the Sunday Telegraph.
Bear Grylls, another leading explorer, said he and others had repeatedly tried to contact Sir Ranulph. “We have been desperately trying to connect with Ran for a year now to no avail,” he said.
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“But truth always wins out,” Grylls added.
He described reports that Sir Ranulph had been separated from loved ones and how he was being treated in care homes as “deeply disturbing”.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the first unsupported crossing of Antarctica in 1992
“It’s past time for the Office for the Public Guardian and the police to investigate urgently. We owe it to him,” Grylls said.
‘Ran we are coming!’
Ben Fogle, who like Sir Ranulph has walked to the South Pole and summited Everest, has also called on the police to investigate.
‘That such a great man, hero of mine and a national treasure, should be treated in this way, isolated and kept away from family and friends, is very troubling,’ he said on social media.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world, said: ‘The recent news that he is being shuffled from home to home and not allowed to see his friends is the deprivation of a basic human right.’
Other celebrity friends include Gardeners’ World host Monty Don, who said Sir Ranulph should be ‘enjoying the admiration and respect of the whole country after such a remarkable life and not kept hidden away from family and friends’.
Meanwhile veteran BBC journalist John Simpson said: ‘He’s the world’s bravest man, and he’s vulnerable. We must know what’s happening to him.’
And shadow health and care secretary Damian Hinds has called for ‘any potential failings’ at the care watchdog the Office Of The Public Guardian to be ‘looked into’.
Mr Millington-Cotes, 31, is now seeking to raise £55,000 to fund legal action if that becomes necessary.
‘I want to ensure his complete free will, the ability to walk outside, see whoever he wants,’ he told The Mail on Sunday.
Cheshire Police declined to comment, while West Mercia Police have yet to comment.
Mrs Millington-Cotes, 59, has so far not responded to requests for comment.
Mr Millington-Cotes’s GoFundMe page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpingranfiennes
