Sir Ranulph Fiennes is thought to have drawn up his will during a trip to Everest after deciding to divorce his wife, as the mystery around his disappearance deepens. The 82-year-old adventurer has not been seen in public for two years, with attempts from family members and even King Charles to reach out reportedly blocked by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes.
Friend claims will was written before Everest bid
Michael Kobold, an old friend of Sir Ranulph, has now suggested he decided to file for divorce ahead of a trip to Nepal back in 2008, before backtracking on the plan when his wife confronted him at their farm in Somerset. The watch entrepreneur alleged that the 82-year-old then wrote a will the night before an unsuccessful bid to climb Mount Everest and gave it to Mr Kobold under strict instruction not to open it until after his death.
"I don't know what's in the will and I promosed Ran I wouldn't open it until he died," Mr Kobold told the Daily Mail. "I get emotional thinking about it because it was a difficult time for all of us. Ran was not happy with the situation ... He felt trapped."
Concerns over whereabouts and care
Sir Ranulph, who has Parkinson's disease, is said to have been moved to care homes in Wales and Cheshire over the past year under an assumed identity, but his current location is unknown. Despite concerns raised by the explorer's family members about his whereabouts, police have said he is living in an "appropriate setting" and receiving "suitable care".
In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Claire Jason from Cheshire Constabulary added: "No immediate safeguarding concerns have been identified at this time. Any new information received will be assessed and considered through the appropriate multi-agency arrangements.
"As this is a personal matter involving an individual's care and welfare, it would not be appropriate to comment further on personal circumstances. We would like to ask that privacy is respected and unnecessary speculation is avoided."
Calls for investigation grow
The explorer's step-son, Alexander Millington-Cotes, was among the voices sounding the alarm over his disappearance, suggesting his estranged mother "exerted a controlling influence from the very start of their marriage". Famous friends of Sir Ranulph including Bear Grylls, Ben Fogle, Joanna Lumley and Monty Don have also spoken out about the situation in recent weeks, with growing calls for an investigation into his wellbeing by both the police and the Office of the Public Guardian.
