Miles Routledge

Last updated

Miles Routledge
Miles Routledge Catholic.jpg
Routledge in 2024
Personal information
Born
Birmingham, England
Occupations
  • YouTuber
  • writer
  • adventurer
  • Author
  • Reseller
YouTube information
Channels Lord Miles
Years active2020–present
Subscribers173,000
Views8.6 million
Last updated: 6 June 2025

Miles Routledge also known as Miles Arthur Le-Vesconte Routledge, [1] and more commonly by the nickname Lord Miles, is an English author, adventurer, YouTuber, and a war tourist. He is known for being a danger tourist in Afghanistan during the Fall of Kabul, and being detained by Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence on a third visit to Afghanistan from 2 March 2023 [2] until October 2023. [3]

Contents

Early life

Routledge worked part time as a hairdresser while a teenager. [4] [5] He has said he was briefly homeless in Birmingham. [6] As of August 2021, he was studying physics at Loughborough University. [7]

2021 trip to Afghanistan

In March 2021, he began planning a trip to Afghanistan. [8]

On 13 August 2021, Routledge arrived in Kabul from Turkey, [9] [10] with a return flight scheduled for 19 August. [11] Due to the ongoing Taliban offensive the FCDO had advised against all travel to the whole country, and urged British nationals in Afghanistan to leave immediately. [12] Routledge said in an August 14 4chan post that "the intelligence agencies show that the capital may be taken over in 30 days; however not in a few days [...] Also if I get proven wrong and die, edit a laughing soundtrack over my posts. It'll be funny I think." [13]

The city was taken by Taliban forces on 15 August, [9] and Routledge described himself as being in a "bit of a pickle"; Routledge's posting about the experience on 4chan, Facebook and Twitch gained attention. [8] He became known by the nickname "Lord Miles" after posting about a £15 lordship certificate he had earlier obtained online, which he had used to get the title "Lord" on a credit card (despite not being a member of British nobility) after he "talked a good game" at a bank. [13] Routledge said that he believed the Taliban might see the honorific and believe he was "valuable enough to negotiate an exchange". [13]

In an interview with The Times , he said that he had "accepted death", explaining that "there was no convincing me otherwise and I knew the risks". [14] While some people had started raising money to help him escape the country, Routledge suggested instead that they give to charity; [13] on Facebook, he asked followers to focus their concern on others at risk from the events, including the tour guide who led him to safety (saying that "his only crime is going the extra mile and saving my life, I can never repay him and that saddens me"). [13]

By 15 August, Routledge said that the British embassy in Kabul had not responded to his calls or emails, and that he was "fully prepared for death", saying that "this trip has been a test of God. I'm very religious so I believe I'll be looked after"; [15] he later found refuge in a safehouse [15] On 16 August a spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said that it was "aware of this case and [was] attempting to reach the individual to offer assistance". [8] On 17 August, Routledge was evacuated to Dubai. [16]

In November 2021, Routledge signed a publishing contract with Antelope Hill Publishing to recount his fall experience during the fall of Afghanistan. [17] His book Lord Miles In Afghanistan was released December 2022. [18] [19]

2023 imprisonment by Taliban

Routledge departed for a third holiday to Afghanistan in late February 2023, and was apprehended by the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence on 2 March 2023. [2] The GDI also apprehended volunteer medic Kevin Cornwell and an unidentified hotel manager, both being British citizens. [20] Routledge was released from Taliban custody in October 2023. [3]

Bibliography

Books

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Morning Coffee: Banking intern stuck in Afghanistan. Banks that raised salaries once come back for another go". eFinancialCareers. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 Wallen, Joe; Sabur, Rozina (1 April 2023). "British self-styled 'danger tourist' captured by Taliban secret police". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 Crew, Jemma (11 October 2023). "Four British men freed after Afghanistan detention". BBC News . Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Meet the team". Theo Georgio. 30 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Routledge, Miles [@real_lord_miles] (15 February 2022). "After working part time in a hairdresser since I was 14 until I was 20, I possess the weird skill of sending people to sleep with head massages at a backwash" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ Lord Miles [@real_lord_miles] (15 November 2021). "I used to be homeless for a few months, it was rough. I remember the feeling of the cold and the desperation..." (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2023– via Twitter.
  7. ↑ de Ferrer, Merthe (16 August 2021). "Meet the 22-year-old British student stuck in Afghanistan: 'I've bitten off more than I can chew'". Euronews. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Hardy, Jack (16 August 2021). "British student stuck in Kabul after 'danger tourism' stunt backfires". The Telegraph .
  9. 1 2 "'No regrets,' says a student stranded in Kabul after planning a trip to the "10 Most Dangerous Countries."". The Washington Newsday. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "Tourist stranded in Kabul says he has 'no regrets' in Afghanistan collapse". NZ Herald . 2 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "British College Student 'Lord Miles' Claims He's Stuck in Afghanistan". Vice . 16 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "Foreign travel advice: Afghanistan". Government of the United Kingdom . 6 August 2021. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "'If I die, It'll be funny I think': A student named 'Lord Miles' is live streaming from Afghanistan after getting 'stuck'". The Daily Dot . 16 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Ball, Tom (15 August 2021). "British student on holiday in Afghanistan 'accepts death'". The Times . Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  15. 1 2 "World of dark tourism where thrillseekers risk death in dangerous countries". news.com.au . 16 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "UK student who travelled to Afghanistan for holiday evacuated". BBC News . 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  17. ↑ @AntelopeHill (15 November 2021). "We have signed a book deal with @LordVesconte, who was in Kabul during the fall of Afghanistan" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ Gault, Matthew (3 April 2023). "Lord Miles Flees Taliban, Publishes Memoir at White Nationalist Press, Gets Captured by Taliban". Vice.
  19. ↑ "Who Is Miles Routledge, The Controversial British YouTuber". NDTV . 22 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "Two of three British men being held by Taliban allowed call to families". BBC. 2 April 2023. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023.
  21. ↑ Routledge, Miles (15 November 2022). Lord Miles in Afghanistan: Routledge, Miles - Amazon. Antelope Hill. ISBN   978-1956887532.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.