Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, 82, 'kept in care homes illegally under fake names by wife'
A health watchdog has ruled that explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been ‘unlawfully deprived of his liberty’ after his second wife allegedly placed him in a succession of care homes under a false name.
Deemed by many as ‘the world's greatest living explorer’, the 82-year-old—famous for being the first person to visit both the North and South Pole by surface means only—has not been seen in public since October 2024.
Alarm bells were raised earlier this month when members of his family contacted the Daily Telegraph.
At the time, they divulged that they hadn’t physically seen him since September and that his last public address was a video recorded for the Royal Geographical Society a month later.
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Long-time friend King Charles III was allegedly informed of Sir Ranulph’s mysterious disappearance, and soon it was discovered that his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, had admitted him to a series of care homes using various monikers.
Sir Ranulph allegedly kept in care homes under false names
On Thursday (24 September), The Daily Telegraph reported that Millington-Cotes refused to let friends and family concerned for Sir Ranulph’s health visit him.
It’s also alleged that she failed to inform them of his whereabouts, which included care homes in London, Wales and Cheshire.
The publication wrote that one of the care homes where the former British Army officer lived has reported several concerns about his well-being and even contacted the police.
A letter to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) questioned unorthodox medicinal arrangements left by Millington-Cotes, with whom Sir Ranulph shares a daughter, Elizabeth, 20.
These strict instructions fed to care workers included eyebrow-raising ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ documents, as well as the woman ‘declining to provide a full medication list’, the outlet wrote.
Moreover, it has been said that Millington-Cotes failed to inform the care home of who her husband really was, telling them instead that he was an ‘an ex-SAS man whose life might be in danger from extremists’.
The report claims that she insisted he wear a disguise to ‘prevent anyone recognising his face or frostbite-damaged fingers’.
“Currently [Sir Ranulph] is being deprived of his liberty unlawfully”
The care home owner sought advice from the Care Inspectorate of Wales, which confirmed in an email in January that: “Currently [Sir Ranulph] is being deprived of his liberty unlawfully as there is no authorised deprivation in place which reflects the current residence and restrictions in place.
“[Sir Ranulph] is under continuous supervision and control, is not free to leave and is not able to consent to care, treatment and accommodation.
“As such, the provider is required to make an urgent and standard application under the deprivation of liberty safeguards as soon as practicable.”
A spokesperson told The Telegraph that it was the first time in eight years that they had to contact health authorities on behalf of someone else.
The family of Sir Ranulph, who revealed his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in the National Geographic documentary series, Fiennes: Return to the Wild, is reportedly contemplating a legal challenge to Millington-Cotes’ guardianship.
Care Inspectorate Wales said in a statement: “Care Inspectorate Wales is committed to promoting the safety, wellbeing and rights of people who receive social care services across Wales. It would not be appropriate for us to comment on an individual’s personal circumstances or care arrangements.”
An OPG spokesman said: “A Lasting Power of Attorney is an important way to ensure that certain decisions about care and finances are made by someone you trust if you lack the capacity to make them yourself. We cannot comment on individual cases.”
“Why the **** should I sign an NDA?”
Earlier this year, Anton Bowring, who met the explorer as a deckhand on the Transglobe Expedition, discussed his conduct after finally tracking his friend down at a care home called KYN Hurlingham in Fulham.
He told The Telegraph that he headed to the house, ‘marched up to the front desk’ and shouted at the staff: “I know you’re hiding him.”
Others claimed that when they got in touch with Millington-Cotes, she asked them to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Arabella McIntyre-Brown, the younger sister of the Berkshire-born man’s first wife Ginny Pepper, refused.
“Why the **** should I sign an NDA?”, she told the publication.
She eventually managed to sneak in to the care home and speak to a ‘very lucid’ Sir Ranulph.
"He was lucid – personality intact, memory clear, sense of humour there. His self-awareness was keen. He knew he was fine in the mornings, but increasingly foggy in the afternoons and evenings."
Ella Scott