Love stories that stand the test of time are rare, and Sir Richard Branson and his wife Joan Templeman shared one that spanned five beautiful decades. On November 25th, the Virgin Group founder announced the heartbreaking news that his beloved wife of 35 years had passed away at the age of 80.
Branson shared the loss on Instagram, writing, “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world.” He added that Joan was “the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for.”
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The couple’s love story began in 1976 when Branson spotted Joan working in a small shop in London. He later wrote, “I fell in love with her from the first moment I saw her, while she worked in a bric-a-brac shop in Westbourne Grove. A blonde-haired, down-to-earth Scottish beauty who didn’t suffer fools, Joan was unlike any other woman I had ever met.”
Branson, who was then a young entrepreneur still finding his footing, admitted he was smitten almost instantly. “I often make up my mind about someone within 30 seconds of meeting them, and I fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her,” he wrote in a 2020 blog post. “Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady, and I quickly realised she wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics.”
Their love was deep, steady, and full of grand gestures. In fact, Branson credited the purchase of Necker Island, now his famous private retreat in the Caribbean, to Joan. “Two years after we had first met, I wanted to show Joan a grand gesture of affection,” he recalled. “Before we knew it, Joan and I were high in the sky, looking down over our future home. It was the second time I experienced love at first sight.”
The two married on Necker Island in 1989 and built a family together. They had three children: Holly, 44, Sam, 40, and Clare Sarah, who tragically died just four days after being born prematurely. Despite the wealth and fame surrounding their lives, Joan chose to remain private. “From the beginning, Joan was a very private person, and the over four decades we have been together she has remained so,” Branson once wrote. “She has always been keen to avoid the public eye.”
In July, Branson celebrated Joan’s 80th birthday with a touching tribute, thanking her for standing by him through “the highs, the lows, and all those quiet, content, and peaceful moments in-between.”
Now, as he mourns the loss of the woman he called his “world,” Branson’s words remind us that true love isn’t found in grand adventures or fortunes, but in the steady companionship of someone who knows your heart better than anyone else.
