The explorer, 82, has not been seen in public for two years and has been placed in several care homes under a false name by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes
Sir Ranulph Fiennes and wife Louise Millington-Cotes.
Picture:
Alamy
Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been kept in several care homes “illegally” under a false name while being denied visitors by his wife.
The explorer, 82, has not been seen in public for two years and has been placed in several care homes under a false name by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes.
Friends of Sir Ranulph have reported that his wife was not allowing visitors and refusing to disclose his whereabouts.
They told the Telegraph they have gone to great lengths over the last year to reach Sir Ranulph, regarded as Britain’s greatest living explorer.
It has now emerged that the owner of one of the care homes where the retired adventurer was living raised concerns about his wellbeing to authorities and contacted the police.
Concerns related to his unusual medication arrangements and the validity of an incomplete “do not resuscitate” document that she had provided.
Read more: ‘They just wanted to be home together’: Elderly couple flee care home because they hate it there
A care inspectorate found at the start of this year that Sir Ranulph was being deprived of his liberty unlawfully because his wife had acted without ensuring the relevant legal protocols were in place.
Picture:
Getty
A care inspectorate found at the start of this year that Sir Ranulph was being deprived of his liberty unlawfully because his wife had acted without ensuring the relevant legal protocols were in place.
Mrs Millington-Cotes, who was granted a lasting power of attorney in 2024, was required to make sure a deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) order was in place – legal safeguard that protects vulnerable people who are unable to consent to restrictive care.
An assessment of the care being given to the person must be made by two professionals not involved in their care, and the person in care must have a nominated representative, such as a relative or friend.
The explorer spent seven weeks at the start of this year at a care home in Wales, followed by a home in Cheshire.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Picture:
Alamy
Concerns were raised at one care home over the extreme lengths that Mrs Millington-Cotes went to in order to conceal her husband’s identity from staff.
The owner said Mrs Millington-Cotes said her husband was “an ex-SAS man whose life might be in danger from extremists” and claimed staff at a previous care home had tried to kill him.
She also insisted on registering him under a false name, made visitors sign non-disclosure agreements before seeing him, and forced him wear hat, sunglasses and gloves in public to prevent anyone from recognising him.
Friends and relatives of Sir Ranulph are believed to be considering a legal challenge to her guardianship, in a case that is highlighting the problems with the power of attorney system.
Fiennes married Millington-Cotes in 2005, a year after the death of his first wife, Ginny.
Care Inspectorate Wales, the independent regulator of social care, said: “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.”
Sir Ranulph, widely regarded as the world’s “greatest living explorer” has undertaken several legendary exploits.
In the 1980s he became the first person to visit both the North and the South Pole on foot during the groundbreaking Transglobe Expedition, and he became the first person ever to completely cross Antarctica on foot
In May 2009, at the age of 65, Sir Ranulph climbed to the summit of Mount Everest.
He has suffered various health scares over the years, including a heart attack in 2003 which led to him undergoing emergency bypass surgery.
In 2019, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and spoke openly about the difficulties of living with the disease.
Speaking about his struggle with Parkinson’s Disease, Sir Ran revealed: “I think the Parkinson stuff is very different with different sufferers from it.”
“I find you get sudden spells of dizziness, and when they are happening, you need to be careful until the dizziness goes otherwise, you’re going to go flat, and the injury that you get from falling over because of it is going to be worse than Parkinson’s.”
He revealed that cold water swimming was the best cure he had found for symptoms of Parkinson’s.