The stepson of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Alexander Millington-Cotes, has launched a crowdfunder to secure “specialist legal advice” in an effort to locate the renowned explorer. Sir Ranulph, 82, who has Parkinson’s disease, has not been seen in public for over two years.
Mr Millington-Cotes, 31, has set a fundraising target of £55,000. These funds are intended to enable him to instruct lawyers to “locate and safeguard” Fiennes and cover court fees, as well as the cost of determining his exact location to be shared with authorities.
Concerns for Sir Ranulph's welfare are growing among friends and family. Mr Millington-Cotes' mother, Louise, Fiennes’ second wife, holds lasting power of attorney for his care, which her son wishes to see revoked. It is understood that Louise has placed Fiennes in various care homes where visitors have reportedly not been permitted.
Reports from the Telegraph indicate that a watchdog previously concluded Fiennes' living arrangements in a Welsh care home amounted to a deprivation of his liberty due to inadequate legal safeguards. The newspaper also stated that at another care home in London, visitors were reportedly asked by Louise to sign non-disclosure agreements before seeing him.
As of Saturday afternoon, the crowdfunder had raised almost £3,000. Mr Millington-Cotes stated that any excess funds would be donated to Marie Curie and the British Heart Foundation.