Sir Ranulph Fiennes stepson says explorer is ‘very lonely’ and calls for him to be allowed visits

Sir Ranulph Fiennes stepson says explorer is ‘very lonely’ and calls for him to be allowed visits Famous adventurer, 82, has not been seen in public for two years - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in The stepson of Sir Ranulph Fiennes has said he will “keep pushing” for access to visit the famed explorer, who he said is “very lonely” in his current circumstances. Concerns have been raised by the friends and family of the 81-year-old in recent weeks, after it emerged he had not been seen since 2024 and has been moved to a number of care homes under a pseudonym. King Charles is reportedly among those who have been blocked after trying to reach out to his longterm friend, after being alerted to concerns about his declining health and isolation. Sir Ranulph’s wife Louise Millington-Cotes, who has lasting power of attorney, was said to have blocked the King’s attempts to make contact, The Telegraph reported. Speaking to Sky News, her son Alexander Millington-Cotes said: “I think I want people to understand this is a very real situation for Ran. It’s not some sort of just going public for the sake of it. It’s a very real situation for Ran, and he is very lonely and we don’t know how he is day to day. “He’s not getting access to the world and having his freedoms as he deserves, just as any person would. People had reached out to me, expressing their own issues they’ve had with the power of attorney sort of system in the UK, and it must be quite a wide issue.” Those close to the famous adventurer have called for the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to establish whether Ms Millington-Cotes, 59, is correctly discharging her duties as his legal guardian. When asked what he would say to his mother, Mr Millington-Cotes said: “I’d love to say so many things to her really. It’s very difficult as to whether those words would go in, really. I’d just ask her to stop what she’s doing and just make sure Ran has all the access that he should have to anyone he wants to see. It’s ultimately about his wishes. “He also has the right to privacy but not like this. It’s not right.” It comes after a watchdog concluded the retired explorer has been “unlawfully deprived of his liberty”, according to The Telegraph. It has been claimed that his wife put extreme conditions on how he is looked after, and not allowed him to see friends or family. A care home owner in Wales, where Sir Ranulph had been placed for seven weeks this year, spoke to the newspaper, saying they had reported several concerns about Sir Ranulph’s wellbeing to the authorities, including the police. The care home owner also raised concerns with the Care Inspectorate of Wales, which declared Sir Ranulph was being unlawfully kept in care homes and unable to consent to his care or treatment. Asked what his message would be to Sir Ranulph, he said: “I would say to him that I love you, and that all his family and friends love you, and that they are pushing hard to see him again and to give him, you know, the rights he deserves. “I will keep pushing. I’m really here not to help Ran as best as I can and also raise awareness to the issue that currently obviously is there generally for the power of attorney. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments