Ranulph Fiennes’s wife ‘allows first visitors to see him after two years’

Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ wife has allowed selected friends and family members to visit him after concerns were raised that the famous explorer had not been seen in two years.

The retired adventurer was thought to have been moved to live in a Shropshire farmhouse but is now living in a specialist dementia unit, according to The Telegraph. His location has been shared with a select few, but not with his stepson Alex Millington-Cotes.

His mother, Louise Millington-Cotes, has come under scrutiny in recent months after it emerged she had moved Sir Ranulph to different care homes under fake names and had refused to allow visitors unless they signed a non-disclosure agreement.

After media interest, friends and family called for an investigation into his wellbeing by both the police and the Office of the Public Guardian, and are pressing ahead with a request for a Court of Protection hearing to rule whether she is exercising her power of attorney over him appropriately.

One person said: “We want to know – has she acted in his best interests? 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.”

Those who have seen the 82-year-old have reported that he is being well cared for and has a carer who keeps him company.

His stepson, who is estranged from his mother, said he is desperate to see his stepfather and is concerned that he will never see him again.

Mr Millington-Cotes told The Telegraph: “This doesn’t change things from my perspective. It obviously nuances the situation somewhat. But she hasn’t acted right from the beginning, and the current press coverage forcing her hand doesn’t make it better.

“Ultimately, she is still in control and, if she’s unhappy with something for some reason or another, she could just pull visitation rights.

“The intention of the legal challenge has never been to attack Louise, though I’m sure she won’t see it that way. The intention has been to remove her power over Ran, but in a way which causes least harm to him. I’d like to change the situation without Ran’s perception of things changing, that the whole underlying structure has changed for the better.”

The King was reportedly among those blocked as he tried to check on the wellbeing of his long-time friend after being alerted to concerns about his declining health and isolation.

Charles was left “most concerned” after fellow explorer Anton Bowring wrote to him in February last year asking for his help, The Telegraph revealed.

But Mrs Millington-Cotes, who is Sir Ranulph’s second wife, was said to have blocked the King’s attempts to reach out, the newspaper reported.

It is understood Mr Bowring sent a letter to the monarch’s principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, saying Sir Ranulph was “in a very poor state” and had been in the care of his wife since the previous September and that his friends were worried.

The King’s then-equerry, Commander William Thornton, contacted Mr Bowring later the same month saying Charles wanted to write to Sir Ranulph, Ms Millington-Cotes and their daughter Elizabeth to express his concern and see if there was anything he could do anything to help.

He also asked for Ms Millington-Cotes’ phone number, but she reportedly fired off angry text messages to Mr Bowring after Buckingham Palace was given her details.