Joseph Fiennes and Sir Ranulph Fiennes share more than a famous surname. They are blood relatives, documentary co-stars, and the two most recognizable faces of a family whose history stretches back to the Norman Conquest.
The question of whether the Shakespeare in Love actor is related to the world’s greatest living explorer has a clear answer: yes. They are cousins. Specifically, Joseph Fiennes is Sir Ranulph’s third cousin, once removed.
Here’s how the two branches of this remarkable family connect.
The Exact Relationship, Explained
The Fiennes family is one of England’s most storied dynasties, with roots that trace back nearly a thousand years. Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, born in 1944, is the 3rd Baronet of Broughton Castle. Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, born in 1970, is the actor known for Shakespeare in Love, The Handmaid’s Tale, and being Ralph Fiennes’ younger brother.
Their connection runs through the sprawling Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes family tree, which includes everyone from politicians and soldiers to artists and, yes, a few notorious characters.
The “third cousin, once removed” designation means their common ancestor is several generations back. For Joseph, Ranulph is a generation older, which is why the relationship includes the “once removed” qualifier.
The Documentary That Brought Them Together
Despite their blood connection, Joseph and Ranulph didn’t really know each other until about two decades ago. They met at a family gathering, and Joseph grew up hearing stories about his intrepid cousin’s exploits.
“I read some of his books,” Joseph recalled. “A big part of my childhood dream was to go on an adventure with my cousin, whose legacy is legendary.”
That dream came true. The two teamed up for National Geographic documentaries, including Fiennes: Return to the Wild and Fiennes: Return to the Nile. The projects sent them to some of the most remote and challenging environments on Earth, with Ranulph serving as a mentor to his less experienced cousin.
A Family History Like No Other
The Fiennes family tree is not for the faint of heart. Sir Ranulph himself has described his ancestors as a cast of “the good, the bad and downright mad.”
Among their forebears: a man who was hanged for poaching deer on a neighbor’s estate, another who was beheaded by a mob, and a third who was involved in the murder of King Edward II. They count among their distant relations three signatories to the Magna Carta, King Henry VI, and even Jane Austen.
The family seat is Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire, which has been home to the Fiennes family for over 600 years.
The Recent Chapter
In 2026, the family connection took on new significance when Sir Ranulph disappeared from public view amid a bitter divorce and care home controversy. Joseph Fiennes was among the relatives who secretly visited him at a London care home in July 2025, a visit that became a critical moment in the ongoing mystery surrounding the explorer’s whereabouts.
Joseph also wrote to the Office of the Public Guardian to raise concerns that his cousin was being cut off from friends and family.
The Bottom Line
Joseph Fiennes and Sir Ranulph Fiennes are cousins, connected by one of England’s most fascinating and complicated family trees. They share a surname, a lineage, and a bond forged through shared adventures in some of the world’s most unforgiving places.
When Joseph says “my cousin, whose legacy is legendary,” he means it quite literally. The Fiennes family has produced explorers, actors, artists, and scoundrels. And the two most famous members of the current generation are, unquestionably, family.
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