Richard Branson breaks silence on spouse’s tragic dying as she went ‘shortly and painlessly’

Richard Branson has revealed that his wife died “painlessly” as he opens up about her final moments. It was confirmed yesterday that Joan, Richard’s wife of 50 years, sadly died at 80-years-old.

Now, Richard has shared the final heartbreaking moments with her. In an Instagram post, Sir Richard shared today (November 26) how his “guiding light” had been in hospital for a back injury before her death. He 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.”

The business owner said on her final day, husband and wife shared a “lovely lunch”. Afterwards, Joan was left in “positive spirits”, but later passed away.

He continued: “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”.

Sir Richard paid tribute to “an incredible final year we all had together”.

That year Joan had celebrated her 80th birthday, their son Sam’s 40th and “countless moments where she was beaming with happiness”.

Paying tribute to “his rock”, Sir Richard continued: “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”.

The family are “devastated” by the loss but “far more grateful for the extraordinary gift of the life we shared”.

“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”.

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