King Charles attempted to reach out to a close friend after becoming 'most concerned' about his declining health and isolation - but was prevented from doing so.
The monarch and Sir Ranulph Fiennes have been friends for over 45 years, with their relationship spanning back to at least the late 1970s. And now their long-standing bond is back in the headlines.
Friends and family members have expressed concern for Sir Ranulph following reports that he has been “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” and moved between care homes under fake names by his second wife and legal guardian, Louise Millington-Cotes.
The 82-year-old retired explorer, who has Parkinson's disease, has not been seen in public since late 2024.
His loved ones have said they do not know his current whereabouts, and his stepson, Alexander Millington-Cotes, has spoken out publicly against his own mother, launching a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to fund a legal challenge to strip her of her power of attorney.
Now it has been revealed that the King also became concerned about his friend's wellbeing.
According to the Telegraph, he tried to check up on Sir Ranulph but was blocked from doing so by the explorer’s wife.
© Getty ImagesWhy was the King concerned about Sir Ranulph?
The monarch was contacted by another adventurer who alerted him to Sir Ranulph's declining health in a letter.
Anton Bowring - who took part in the Transglobe Expedition with Sir Ranulph between 1979 and 1982 - wrote to the King's private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, in February last year to inform the King that his friend was “in a very poor state” and had been under the care of his wife since the previous September.
© Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesCharles became 'most concerned' for his friend, and his equerry contacted the explorer to ask how the King could get in touch with Sir Ranulph. He was then given a phone number of Louise Millington-Coates.
Charles is prevented from contacting his friend
Anton believed that Sir Ranulph would be 'thrilled' to know the King was thinking of him. But his wife Louise was angry the Palace had been given her contact details. She threatened him with a solicitor and the police, claiming they were causing her husband “immense distress” and telling them to “back off”, according to the publication.
Furthermore, it is understood she declined to put the King in touch with her husband.
© WireImageShe allegedly also told friends that the King hated her husband and that Queen Camilla had helicopters fly over their property to annoy them.
Louise, 59, was granted lasting power of attorney over her 82-year-old husband in November 2024, and placed him in a succession of care homes under an assumed name.
At first, friends were allowed to see him if they signed non-disclosure agreements, but she has not told any of his family or friends where he is since the start of 2026.
Sir Ranulph's loved ones call for action
Family and friends of Sir Ranulph have called for an investigation into his care arrangements after allegations he has been illegally placed in a series of care homes under a fake name by his wife.
Those close to the 82-year-old want the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to establish whether his wife Louise is correctly discharging her duties as his legal guardian.
© Getty ImagesThe BBC's foreign correspondent John Simpson is among those to publicly share his concern.
He wrote on X: "Horrified to hear what's happened to my good friend Ran Fiennes. I'd like to tell the relevant authorities everything I know about the way he's been treated. He's the world's bravest man, and he's vulnerable. We must know what's happening to him."
Alexander Millington-Cotes, Sir Ranulph's stepson and Mrs Millington-Cotes’s estranged son, told The Telegraph that he has called the OPG and spoke to their safeguarding team, but had "heard nothing back so far".
