Sir Richard Branson, the globally recognized founder of the Virgin empire, is publicly grieving the profound and unthinkable loss of his wife and lifelong partner, Lady Joan Branson. The entrepreneur revealed on Tuesday that Lady Joan, with whom he shared five decades of life, love, and partnership, has died.
The announcement was made via a deeply emotional message posted across social media, where Branson offered a raw, heartfelt tribute to the woman he consistently credited as his foundation.
View this post on Instagram
“My Best Friend, My Rock, My Guiding Light”
In his public statement, Sir Richard conveyed the depth of his loss, writing:
“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away. She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan x.”
The immense depth of their connection was visible just last week when Branson shared a tender photograph of himself kissing Joan’s head, accompanied by the simple, powerful caption: “Everyone needs a Joan in their life.” Her death marks the end of a remarkable partnership built on unwavering support and devotion across a lifetime of global fame and entrepreneurship.
A Love Story That Began in a London Shop
Branson has frequently described his first encounter with Joan as love at first sight, a narrative that began far from the glamorous world of private islands and private jets. He first met Joan in the 1970s in West London, where the Scottish-born woman was working in a modest bric-a-brac shop, according to ITV reporting.
He famously recalled repeatedly hovering around the store, inventing excuses to see her again by buying “countless objects.” Years later, he penned that he “fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her” but quickly realized the down-to-earth Scottish woman was not easily swayed by his typical entrepreneurial charms.
The couple eventually married in 1989 on Necker Island, the legendary Caribbean retreat that Branson had famously acquired as a grand, romantic gesture early in their relationship. “We were still in the early days of Virgin Records and I definitely did not have the cash to buy it — but try telling that to a fool in love!” he admitted of the purchase.
The couple went on to have three children: Holly, Sam, and a daughter, Clare Sarah, who tragically passed away just four days after being born prematurely.
A Life Lived Quietly, but Deeply
Despite being married to one of the world’s most recognizable, media-savvy entrepreneurs for five decades, Lady Joan consistently and deliberately avoided the public eye. Branson once explained her deeply private nature: “From the beginning Joan was a very private person, and the over four decades we have been together she has remained so.”
She rarely granted interviews, opting instead to maintain a life away from the spotlight. Branson noted that she did not participate in one until 2016, when she consented to be filmed for a documentary focusing on his extreme ballooning adventures.
Lady Joan was widely believed to be in good health when she celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this past summer. At the time, Branson shared a loving tribute, reflecting on their enduring decades together: “Thank you for being by my side through it all – the highs, the lows, and all those quiet, content and peaceful moments in between. These are the moments I cherish most with you, I love you more and more each year.”
Sir Richard Branson is now grieving the loss of the woman he has long defined as the singular foundation of his entire life—his partner, his trusted confidante, and his greatest source of steadiness and resilience. Lady Joan Branson’s death marks the indelible conclusion of a remarkable 50-year partnership.
