Sir Richard Branson shares details of late wife Joan’s passing as he remembers ‘incredible final year together’
The business magnate said the 80-year-old died "quickly and painlessly" while recovering from a back injury in hospital
By Callum Wells
Sir Richard Branson has shared details of his late wife Joan’s passing, remembering their “incredible final year together” in an Instagram tribute.
The business magnate announced her death yesterday (25 November), telling his followers, “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away.”
He’s now reflected on their 36-year-long marriage with a carousel of family photos, disclosing the 80-year-old died “quickly and painlessly” while recovering from a back injury in hospital.
“Thankfully, I was right by her side. It brings us all great comfort to know we were together” – Sir Richard Branson on Joan’s passing
The Virgin Group founder, who shared children Holly and Sam with Joan, wrote, “Holly, Sam and I are all together now, doing our best to smile through the tears and to focus on all the good things Joan brought into our world. There are so many.
“Fate has a strange way of working. As many already know, I’d come off my bike in India and hurt my shoulder. Joan was recovering from her own back injury in hospital in England. In the way life sometimes surprises you, I found myself moved to a room just down the corridor from her. We laughed together about how typical it was of us to end up on the same floor, like love-struck teenagers delighted to find each other again.
“We had a lovely lunch that day. She was in positive spirits and getting stronger. She smiled at me, that radiant smile that lit up her whole face, the same smile I fell in love with the very first moment I saw her, half a century ago. Then suddenly, she was gone, quickly and painlessly. And thankfully, I was right by her side. It brings us all great comfort to know we were together.
“Life will never be the same without her. But we have fifty incredible years of memories” – Branson
“What an incredible final year we all had together. Her beautiful 80th birthday celebration at Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, surrounded by her closest friends; Sam’s 40th celebrations onboard Virgin Voyages; countless moments where she was beaming with happiness. She lived so fully and joyfully, always thinking of others, always lifting everyone else up. To see her so happy in those last months is something we will treasure forever.
“Life will never be the same without her. But we have fifty incredible years of memories – years filled with tears and laughter, kindness, and a love that shaped our family more than words could ever capture. It was a relationship that worked. We just had lots of laughs. We were very lucky.
“We are devastated she is gone. But I am far more grateful for the extraordinary gift of the life we shared – with our remarkable kids, Sam and Holly, and our wonderful grandkids, who adored her (and her sweets!) just as deeply as I did.
“Joan was my everything, the shining star around which our family’s universe has always orbited. That light is not gone; it’s just taken on a new shape. It will guide us forward. And we will carry her with us, always.”
Joan Templeman was born in Glasgow, Scotland, into a family of six children. Early in her life, she worked in several jobs, including running an antiques shop in Notting Hill.
She met Branson in 1976 when he would often visit her shop, and he later recalled being smitten within moments of meeting her.
“Our hearts go out to Sir Richard, Holly and Sam at this difficult time” – Attitude’s publisher, Dr Darren Styles OBE
Their relationship blossomed over the years, and in 1989, the couple married on Necker Island, the Caribbean retreat that would later become the Bransons’s home.
Attitude’s publisher, Dr Darren Styles OBE, says, “Virgin family are Attitude’s family. Our hearts go out to Sir Richard, Holly and Sam at this difficult time. They were allies before it was fashionable to be allies.”
Beyond his business empire, Branson has long been a vocal and active ally of the LGBTQ+ community. For more than 50 years, he has publicly supported gay rights and inclusion. In his early career, he founded the Student Advisory Centre, a confidential helpline where young people, including gay youth, could seek advice and feel heard.
In a notably bold move for the time, he purchased the London nightclub Heaven in the 1980s – a safe gathering place for the queer community.
Virgin, and the Branson family, have had a long-standing relationship with Attitude
Under his leadership, Virgin has gone on to sponsor Pride festivals, launch global initiatives, and push for equality. The Virgin Group helped found Open for Business, a coalition that makes the economic case for LGBTQ+ inclusion in business.
Virgin, and the Branson family, have had a long-standing relationship with Attitude. Virgin Atlantic has sponsored the Attitude Awards – one of the most visible LGBTQ+ celebrations in the UK – for more than a decade.
In 2025, Virgin Atlantic launched a campaign, ‘Free to Be Me’, designed for LGBTQ+ travellers, in partnership with Attitude.
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