Louise Millington is back at the center of the dispute after Alexander Millington-Cotes said a Cheshire police detective called him in recent days about Sir Ranulph Fiennes’s wellbeing. He said he plans to speak to police this week, calling the contact “That’s the one bit of hope”.
The call matters because it follows months of concern around the 82-year-old explorer, who has Parkinson's and is in the care of his wife, who has power of attorney. Joseph Fiennes wrote in January to the Office of the Public Guardian over worries that Ranulph was being cut off from friends and family, and the family conflict has now reached a formal police channel.
Alexander Millington-Cotes
Alexander Millington-Cotes said, “I might have possibly one more avenue with the police. I just got a call the other day from a detective who wanted to speak to me, which was interesting and encouraging. They kind of wanted to get my perspective on things and the sort of things that I’ve observed and things like that, and what I believe to be the truth.” That puts his account, not just the family’s wider concern, directly in front of Cheshire police.
He also described the first police statement as “slapdash” and “really disappointing”. For someone trying to push a welfare complaint forward, the shift from a written response to a detective’s call is the first sign that the matter is moving from public dispute to direct scrutiny.
Cheshire police on Monday
Cheshire police said on Monday that they did not have safeguarding concerns regarding Sir Ranulph Fiennes and said they were satisfied that he is living in an appropriate setting with suitable care and professional oversight. That sits in tension with the family’s complaints and with the fact that he has not been seen in public for two years.
Alexander Millington-Cotes is also crowdfunding a legal application to try to remove power of attorney over Fiennes from his mother, while Louise remains estranged from him. Arabella Pepper said visitors were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, and she said Fiennes appeared “incredibly relieved” to see her and spoke of “longing” to see friends.
Wales and the care row
Michael Kobold said he was concerned the isolation had become “even more draconian”, including during Fiennes’s time in a care home in Wales where staff were given strict instructions on his day to day activities. The Care Inspectorate Wales wrote that the correct protocols were not in place and that he was being deprived of his liberty unlawfully because there was no authorised deprivation in place that reflected the current residence and restrictions.
The practical next step is now narrow but important: Alexander Millington-Cotes is due to speak to police this week, and that conversation will show whether Cheshire police move beyond reassurance and into a deeper welfare review. For a family dispute built around access, oversight and power of attorney, the detective’s call is the first real opening in months.
