On November 25, Sir Richard Branson posted a photo of his wife, Joan, smiling, but it came with a devastating caption.
“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” it began. “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,” Richard added.
While he didn’t reveal what Joan died from, it doesn’t seem to be wholly unexpected. The previous day, he posted an older photo of the two of them laughing and holding on to each other. “Love this photo of Joan,” he captioned it.
Richard also posted a more recent photo of the two on November 15, with the caption “Everyone needs a Joan in their life.” Richard is kissing the back of her head as she smiles, holding a glass of wine.
In a sign of how beloved Richard and Joan are, more than 8,000 people have posted their condolences. Some, like Amy Schumer, posted a heart emoji. Christie Brinkley wrote, “Heartfelt condolences to you and your loved ones.. May your happy memories comfort you.”
Branson Revealed Deep Love for Wife: ‘My Rock and Confidant’
In 2015, the entrepreneur and Virgin founder published a lengthy essay about his wife. The occasion was Joan’s 70th birthday.
“While I know she doesn’t like the spotlight, I cannot let such a momentous occasion go by without praising her and everything she has done for me and our family,” he wrote.
GettyHe described her as his “Rock, my confidant, and my guiding light.” He revealed that she had always been private, and even when he became famous, she was determined to keep her own name out of the spotlight. According to Richard, she didn’t even do her first interview until she was 69.
“While she has preferred to stay behind the scenes, she has always stood by me mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” he wrote.
Richard Branson’s Unconventional Courtship: How He Won Over Joan with Antiques and an Island
In his autobiography, “Losing My Virginity,” Richard went into more detail about how he met Joan in 1976, writing that he “fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her. Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady and I quickly realised she wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics.”
Joan worked in a store that sold antiques and knick-knacks, such as old signs with slogans. “I lived on a houseboat at the time,” he wrote. “And it was soon full of signs declaring messages like, ‘Dive in Here for Tea’ and ‘Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.'”
GettyA romantic at heart, Branson later bought Necker Island as a “grand gesture” to prove to Joan how much he loved her. He called buying the island “one of the best decisions” he ever made. However, “the very best was when Joan and I got married on Necker 11 years later.”
Joan leaves behind daughter Holly, 44, and Sam, 40, and five grandchildren.
Sorry for your loss! A true friendship and love is difficult to replicate. Find solace in your children and grandchildren and the memories you hold in your heart!
God bless, C.B.