{"id":104152,"date":"2025-11-26T04:06:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T04:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=104152"},"modified":"2025-11-26T04:06:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T04:06:00","slug":"sir-richard-branson-heartbroken-as-wife-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=104152","title":{"rendered":"Sir Richard Branson \u2018heartbroken\u2019 as wife dies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sir Richard Branson has said he is \u201cheartbroken\u201d over the death of his wife Joan aged 80.<\/p>\n

The pair, who married in 1989, had three children and five grandchildren.<\/p>\n

In a post on Instagram, the Virgin Group founder said his wife was his \u201cbest friend\u201d and \u201cguiding light\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for,\u201d the 75-year-old wrote.<\/p>\n

The entrepreneur did not say what caused her death.<\/p>\n

In his post, Sir Richard wrote: \u201cHeartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cShe was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan x.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple married on Necker island, owned by Sir Richard, in the Caribbean and had three children, Holly, Sam, and Clare Sarah, who died after four days.<\/p>\n

Paying tribute to his mother, Sam Branson described her as \u201cthe kindest, most loving, warm and abundantly generous woman to walk this Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so deeply grateful to have had the privilege of being your son and being able to call you mum,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Sir Richard Branson and Lady Branson with daughter Holly Branson and the tycoon\u2019s mother Eve Branson in 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2018, Holly wrote in a blog that her mother was raised in the centre of Glasgow and worked in a pawnbroker\u2019s shop, and, later, at a London bric-a-brac store in Portobello Road in west London.<\/p>\n

She said it was there that her father first fell in love with Lady Branson and \u201cturned up at the shop every day for months, buying stuff he didn\u2019t want or need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holly described her mother as \u201ca stay-at-home mum who was (and still is) always there with a hug, inspiring words of wisdom, and a beautiful, welcoming smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a blog to celebrate their wedding anniversary five years ago, Sir Richard said he \u201cfell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoan has always been a steady source of wisdom and has played no small part in some of my better life decisions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Sir Richard is one of the UK\u2019s most successful businessmen.<\/p>\n

He founded Virgin Records in the 1970s, before his group expanded into other industries including air travel, broadband and space tourism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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