Sir Ranulph Fiennes's wife is allowing visitors after concerns were raised for his welfare... but bars son

Published: 00:35 GMT, 28 October 2026 | Updated: 00:35 GMT, 28 October 2026

Sir Ranulph Fiennes's wife is allowing selected friends and family members to visit the explorer following growing concern over his whereabouts.

The 82-year-old, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019, was moved to a specialist dementia unit by his second wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, who had previously imposed strict limits on who could see him.

Ms Millington-Cotes, 59, is now understood to have shared his location with a small number of people and permitted some visits.

But her son, Alex Millington-Cotes, 31, has been refused access and fears he may never see his stepfather again.

Several relatives and friends are seeking a Court of Protection hearing to examine whether Ms Millington-Cotes is appropriately exercising her power of attorney.

The move follows claims that she previously transferred Sir Ranulph between care homes and required visitors to sign non-disclosure agreements preventing them from revealing his whereabouts.

Those who have seen Sir Ranulph say he is being well cared for and spends his days in the company of a dedicated carer.

However, concerns remain about the continuing restrictions on access.

Sir Ranulph pictured with his second wife Lady Louise Millington-Cotes, a horse trainer from Cheshire

Ranulph (left) pictured with wife Louise Fiennes (centre) and his third cousin, actor Ralph Fiennes (right) in London in 2012

Sir Ranulph pictured with his first wife, childhood sweetheart Virginia 'Ginny' Fiennes, who died in 2004 from cancer

'We want to know – has she acted in his best interests?' a person close to Sir Ranulph told the Telegraph.

'One can't help but feel that being in a good place with a gentle stream of familiar faces to break up the day will keep him feeling loved and supported, and that can only be a good thing.'

Alex Millington-Cotes, who is estranged from his mother, has launched a crowdfunding campaign for legal fees to 'locate and safeguard' the explorer.

He said his mother 'hasn't acted right from the beginning'.

Sir Ranulph, who became the first person to reach both the North and South Poles by surface travel in the early 1980s, is described by Guinness World Records as 'the world's greatest living explorer'.

He was last seen publicly at a gala evening held in his honour by the Royal Geographical Society in October 2024, when he appeared in a brief pre-recorded video apologising for not being 'well enough' to attend in person.

Since then, many of his closest friends have struggled to contact him and have become increasingly concerned about his welfare.

His disappearance from public view was the subject of a Daily Mail investigation last Saturday under the headline: 'Where on earth is Ranulph Fiennes?'

The investigation found that, during one year alone, Sir Ranulph was moved between five different locations: four care homes and a hotel.

He spent 49 days at a care facility in Wales after arriving there on January 21.

Lady Fiennes, who married Sir Ranulph in 2005 and is 23 years younger than him, holds lasting power of attorney over both his property and financial affairs and his health and welfare.

However, the Care Inspectorate Wales concluded that Sir Ranulph was being unlawfully deprived of his liberty because the necessary authorisation covering his residence was not in place.

The home's owner told the Daily Mail that Lady Fiennes also failed to provide a medication list from a doctor or prescriber despite repeated requests and insisted that Sir Ranulph remained under the care of his private GP in London rather than being registered locally.

She supplied all of his medication, while some of the antibiotics administered to him were prescribed in her name rather than his.

The owner also alleged that Lady Fiennes asked staff to alter some of his medication doses, but they refused to do so without a written prescription.

'That left the home with no clinical oversight of him at all,' the owner said.

'No doctor saw him in the 49 days he was with us.'

Although some friends and relatives are now aware of Sir Ranulph's location, concerns over his care, access and welfare continue to grow among those closest to him.