Son of Ranulph Fiennes' wife reveals family fallout as he launches legal bid to locate explorer
The last time Alex Millington saw his stepdad Sir Ranulph Fiennes was a couple of years ago on one of his 'somewhat rare visits' to the famous explorer's home.
He'd been walking up when by 'sheer luck', Fiennes - who has been dubbed by the Guinness Book of World Records the 'world's greatest living explorer' - appeared at the top of the drive and grabbed Alex, walking him back down the driveway and out of earshot, apparently wanting to talk away from the house.
Alex told LADbible that they talked about the challenges he'd been through, and Sir Ranulph told him 'you know, all families have problems', before telling Alex he was very proud of him.
They hugged, but little did Alex realise that this would be the last time he'd see his stepdad.
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Now, amid the media chaos, he has emotionally revealed exactly what he'd say to him if he sees him again.
Alex among many others among his friends and family said they stopped seeing Fiennes some time ago, as they told the Daily Telegraph they'd made several attempts to get in touch, even booking into the care home he was alleged to have been staying in just to try and talk to him.
When Alex last saw his mother, Louise Millington-Cotes - Fiennes' second wife - in September 2024, he claimed he was told by his sister Elizabeth 'not to come back'.
"The last conversation we all had together there was where unfortunately Elizabeth said that she didn't want to see me again," Alex recounted.
Alex said he believes his sister said that 'not through her own desire' and he has nothing against Elizabeth, believing 'a hundred percent' that she was just relaying their mother's words.
He said: "She's in a really difficult situation and she herself is a vulnerable person in a sense.
"I think that's one of the greatest worries of many people, Elizabeth, and how she's doing. She's only 20 and all this stuff's going on and she's just got the words of Louise to go by.
"I'm worried that those words are not particularly good."
Alex said that in that house, 'it always seemed like someone might be listening', and while he could at times speak to his stepdad alone, he 'could never talk' to Elizabeth by herself.
"I tried to see how I could, but I never had the opportunity. My mum was always very close by," he said.
Alex's relationship with Louise had been a 'really rough time', with him being estranged from her and explaining it had been 'particularly bad since 2018' when he'd left home to start his first job, travelling abroad to Sweden.
He said: "I would receive very mixed messages from my mum, to be honest.
"I'd heard through some of the members of staff that were working there that my mum had said to them for no one to contact me and that she wanted me to feel isolated.
"So I suppose on the other side of that is that she felt isolated because I'd gone and therefore she wanted to enact revenge on me, essentially."
The next step in Alex's efforts to establish the whereabouts and wellbeing of his stepfather is a legal challenge, for which he's launched a fundraiser with the goal to 'locate and safeguard Sir Ranulph Fiennes'.
He said: "The intention with that is to challenge the power of attorney and generally the power that my mother holds over Ran.
"To be able to give him complete free will for him to express his wishes properly and to have all the best medical treatment in line with the latest medical research for Parkinson's."
Alex said that as far as visiting is concerned 'that is up to him' and the important thing was that Fiennes was well.
Other members of Fiennes' family have also made their concerns known, claiming to the Daily Telegraph that Millington-Cotes has refused to let friends and family see him, and alleging that she has moved him to various care homes in recent months, which Alex has said sounds 'really bad for a Parkinson's patient'.
During a time when he was in a care home in Wales, the Care Inspectorate Wales said Fiennes was 'being deprived of his liberty unlawfully'.
Millington-Cotes is yet to respond publicly to the allegations. It was reported by other publications that she was asked not to be contacted by members of the press.
Fiennes revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis in the National Geographic documentary series, Fiennes: Return to the Wild.
With various family and friends urging the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to investigate, Cheshire Police on Monday (28 September) responded to say they were 'aware of the concerns raised' but were satisfied that Fiennes was 'living in an appropriate setting with suitable care and professional oversight'.
They said there had been 'no immediate safeguarding concerns' identified.
A recent report from the Daily Mail suggests that Sir Ranulph has since been moved to an 'isolated farmhouse' protected by an 'industrial' gate.
Alex said he doesn't know where his stepdad is but suspects it's the farmhouse, though he personally has 'nothing to back that up'.
For now his goal is to crack on with legal proceedings and try to get lasting power of attorney away from Millington-Cotes and to a group of Fiennes' other family members.
If he does get to see him again Alex knows what he'll say.
He told LADbible: "I'd say I love him. 'I love you'. I'd say that everyone is there supporting you. Everyone has your very best wishes in mind for him."
He'd also be bringing Fiennes some macaroons from Sainsbury's, since those are one of the explorer's favourite treats.
Joe Harker