Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the renowned explorer celebrated for his pioneering expeditions and charitable work, has recently faced significant health challenges, raising concerns among friends and supporters about his care and wellbeing.
Fiennes, 75, is known for completing the first circumnavigation of the world via both poles using only surface transport during the Transglobe expedition in 1982. He remains the only person to have crossed both Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean and summited Mount Everest, holding a unique record in exploration history. Beyond his adventures, Fiennes has completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days and has raised millions for charities such as Marie Curie and the British Heart Foundation.
In early September 2024, Fiennes appeared frail but still managed to deliver a well-received lecture in Norwich, where he received a standing ovation and engaged warmly with attendees afterward. According to friends, he was in good spirits earlier that day during a lunch meeting at a Suffolk farm. However, reports indicate his health began to decline later in September following a car accident that, while not resulting in serious injuries, led him to stop driving.
The explorer's last public appearance was in October 2024, via a video message screened at a gala held at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, west London. Unable to attend in person, Fiennes read a prepared statement thanking supporters and expressing hope for future adventures.
Concern grew towards the end of 2024 when friends, including Anton Bowring, were unable to reach Fiennes. Unopened Christmas cards and unanswered correspondence prompted Bowring to contact the private secretary of King Charles III, who has served as Fiennes’s patron for over four decades. The King expressed a desire to offer support and sent a letter to Fiennes and his family.
Bowring’s attempts to help were met with resistance from Louise Millington-Cotes, Fiennes’s second wife and holder of lasting power of attorney. She accused Bowring of betraying Fiennes’s trust and threatened legal action, effectively ending contact between them.
In May 2024, Bowring and others approached the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to request an investigation into potential concerns regarding Fiennes’s care and decision-making capacity. The OPG declined to intervene, stating that the concerns predated the granting of lasting power of attorney to Millington-Cotes in November 2024.
As of now, Bowring remains deeply worried about Fiennes’s condition and care, acknowledging that his friend, once described as one of the world’s bravest men, is now vulnerable. Public figures such as JK Rowling, Sir Salman Rushdie, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as supporters including the late Dolly Parton, have voiced their concerns.
Efforts to safeguard Fiennes’s wellbeing continue, but those close to him express uncertainty about his future public presence, emphasizing the priority remains ensuring he receives appropriate care during this difficult period.