Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the 82-year-old retired explorer, has been placed in a series of care homes by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, following his mysterious disappearance from public life two years ago. He had not been seen publicly since failing to attend a Royal Geographical Society gala in October 2024, instead appearing only via pre-recorded video. The Care Inspectorate of Wales concluded in January that he was being "unlawfully deprived of his liberty" after his wife failed to implement proper legal safeguards required for his care arrangements.

Sir Ranulph has been kept in care homes across London, Wales and Cheshire under a false name, with his wife enforcing strict controls including requiring visitors to sign non-disclosure agreements and dressing him in disguise for outings. Rather than registering him with a GP, she employed a private carer and provided a do-not-resuscitate order that could not be validated. Despite being alerted by a care home owner that a deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) order was legally necessary, Mrs Millington-Cotes refused to apply for one. His family and friends are now in dispute with his wife over his care, with some considering legal action, whilst raising concerns that they have been denied information about his whereabouts and access to visit him.