King Charles ‘blocked’ from contacting legendary explorer by his wife

The Palace was warned that Sir Ranulph was in a 'very poor state'

The King and the veteran explorer have shared a friendship spanning more than four decades, dating back to the late 1970s.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes and King Charles at The Coldest Journey launch on board the SA Agulhas on December 6, 2012 in London, England (Picture credit: Getty)

Charles became concerned about Fiennes after Anton Bowring, who accompanied him on the Transglobe Expedition from 1979 to 1982, contacted the King’s private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, in February last year.

Bowring’s letter reportedly warned the Palace about Fiennes’ declining health. The Telegraph reports that Charles was “most concerned” and that his staff subsequently tried to establish how the King could get in touch with his friend.

The inquiry led to the telephone number of Fiennes’ wife, Louise Millington-Cotes. 

However, she was reportedly angry that her details had been passed to the Palace and is understood to have rejected the request to put Charles in contact with her husband.

According to The Telegraph, Millington-Cotes threatened those involved with a solicitor and police action, claiming they were causing Fiennes “immense distress” and telling them to “back off”.

Friends claim Fiennes was 'unlawfully deprived of his liberty'

The reported dispute over contact is part of a much wider situation surrounding Fiennes, whose whereabouts and wellbeing have become a concern among friends and relatives.

The 82-year-old, who has Parkinson’s disease, has not appeared in public since late 2024. 

Reports have alleged that he was “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” and moved between care homes under false names by Millington-Cotes, his second wife and legal guardian.

She was granted lasting power of attorney over Fiennes in November 2024. Friends were initially able to visit him, although they were reportedly required to sign non-disclosure agreements. 

Since the beginning of 2026, his family and friends have said they have not been told where he is currently living.

His stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, has gone further by publicly criticising his mother and setting up a GoFundMe campaign to fund a legal challenge aimed at removing her power of attorney.

Millington-Cotes has also allegedly told friends that Charles dislikes Fiennes. She has reportedly claimed that Queen Camilla had helicopters fly over their property to deliberately annoy the couple.

The allegations surrounding Fiennes remain disputed, but the reported attempt by Charles to check on his friend shows that concerns about the explorer’s situation have reached the Palace.