Nocturnal 
The stepson of legendary explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has gone public with a bitter family fallout, revealing he’s launched a legal bid to find out where his 82-year-old stepfather is actually living.
Alexander Millington-Cotes, 31, says he hasn’t seen his mother Louise – Fiennes’s second and current wife, who holds power of attorney over him – or his stepfather since 2024. He’s now crowdfunding legal fees in a bid to “locate and safeguard” the man once named by Guinness World Records as “the world’s greatest living explorer”, with the fundraiser so far pulling in almost £26,000, according to the BBC.
Sir Ranulph has not been seen in public for nearly two years, a period that began just months after he spoke openly about his Parkinson’s diagnosis. It’s claimed, though not confirmed, that he has spent time in a series of care homes in Cheshire under assumed names following the rift with his wife, as reported by ITV News.
What the family is saying
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Millington-Cotes said he wants power of attorney “removed from my own mother” and handed to people who have Sir Ranulph’s “best interests in mind”. He described his stepfather as someone who isn’t naturally isolated, adding: “To see him isolated now is very painful.”
Arabella Pepper, sister of Fiennes’s late first wife Ginny, told the BBC she hadn’t been able to see her former brother-in-law for over a year, saying friends and family “want to see him and take him Toblerones and cheer him up” but don’t know where he is. Speaking separately to the Guardian, Pepper claimed visitors had been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, and that Fiennes had appeared “incredibly relieved” to see her and spoke of “longing” to see friends. These claims have not been independently verified.
Actor Joseph Fiennes, a relative of the explorer, reportedly wrote to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in January raising concerns about Sir Ranulph being cut off from friends and family, the Guardian reports. It has also been alleged, and remains unconfirmed, that the King attempted to check on his long-time friend but was rebuffed by Louise Millington-Cotes, according to ITV News.
Police response
Cheshire Police issued a statement saying they were satisfied Sir Ranulph is “living in an appropriate setting with suitable care and professional oversight” and had no safeguarding concerns. Millington-Cotes branded that initial response “slapdash” and “really disappointing”.
However, he told the Guardian he’d since received a call from a Cheshire Police detective wanting his “perspective” on the case, which he called “the one bit of hope”. Cheshire Police confirmed contact with him but said their original statement “still stands”.
The OPG, which oversees lasting powers of attorney, said it had a “strict duty of confidentiality” to individuals involved but takes “all safeguarding concerns seriously” where there’s an evidence and legal basis to investigate.
Where things stand
Louise Millington-Cotes has not responded publicly to the allegations made by family members or the BBC’s requests for comment. Sir Ranulph’s current whereabouts remain unconfirmed, and no wrongdoing has been proven by anyone named in this story. Alexander Millington-Cotes says his legal application is ongoing as he pushes to establish his stepfather’s wellbeing and location.
