Sir Ranulph Fiennes’s famous cousin ‘secretly visited him in care home last year’

Actor Joseph Fiennes, the cousin of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, secretly visited him in a London care home last year while he was living there under an assumed name.

The Shakespeare in Love actor reportedly spent time with the famous explorer before then raising concerns with the authorities about the 82-year-old’s welfare six months later.

The 56-year-old had written to the Office of the Public Guardian on 6 January this year to express concern that Sir Ranulph was being cut off from his loved ones.

The whereabouts of the UK’s most well-known adventurer has been the source of public speculation in recent days, after it was alleged he has been admitted to a number of different care homes under fake names by his wife.

Cheshire Police have said they are aware of the concerns regarding Sir Ranulph, and are satisfied he is living in an appropriate setting with suitable care.

They said there were “no immediate safeguarding concerns”.

Now, The Times has reported that his cousin Joseph visited him at KYN Hurlingham in west London last year, where he had been registered under the name Ron Westwood.

The visit came after his close friends reportedly spent months attempting to visit him, with his first wife Ginny’s sister Arabella Pepper saying his location was only found after friends began telephoning hospitals in an attempt to trace him.

After a staff member at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital allegedly disclosed he had been returned to KYN Hurlingham, Ms Pepper booked herself into the home as a resident and found him there.

Upon finding him, she said Sir Ranulph had appeared “incredibly relieved” and had asked her to deliver a message to his loved ones that he was “longing to see them”.

Later that afternoon, Joseph appeared and spent several minutes “laughing and joking” with Sir Ranulph before they entered a private room to continue their discussion.

The cousins have a close relationship and have appeared in two television documentaries together, including one in which they travelled through Canada together.

On Monday, the actor expressed his concern over Sir Ranulph’s whereabouts, telling The Telegraph: “If that happens to Ran, I can’t bear to think how many others that has happened to and is happening to.

“It throws up vital questions, including questions for care homes and legal services.”

Famous friends of Sir Ranulph, including Bear Grylls, Ben Fogle, Joanna Lumley, John Simpson and Monty Don have spoken out about the situation in recent weeks, with growing calls for an investigation into his wellbeing by both the police and the Office of the Public Guardian.

King Charles was also reportedly blocked from checking on his wellbeing after being alerted to concerns about his declining health and isolation.

Charles was left “most concerned” about his longtime friend, who has not been seen in public for two years, after fellow explorer Anton Bowring wrote to him in February last year asking for his help.

But Sir Ranulph’s wife Louise Millington-Cotes was said to have blocked the King’s attempts to reach out, it has been reported.

Over the weekend, the explorer’s stepson Alexander Millington-Cotes claimed police had ignored his pleas for help and called for an investigation into his whereabouts.