Who was Joan Templeman? Richard Branson’s beloved wife dies as business icon shares the tragic news
Just a day earlier, Branson had shared a cozy photo of the couple, simply captioning it: “I love this photo of Joan.” This afternoon, the ton turned into devastating losses.
“I am heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner of 50 years, has passed away,” Branson wrote. “She was the most amazing mother and grandmother our children and grandchildren could ever ask for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world.”
The couple have two children, Holly, 44, and Sam, 40, and five grandchildren: Etta, Artie, Lola, Eva-Deia and Bluey. Another baby girl died just four days after birth in 1979.
Who is Joan Templeman?
Joan Templeman was the Scottish-born wife of Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and his partner of 50 years. Born in Glasgow in 1945, she grew up in a working-class family and worked a variety of jobs before meeting Branson in 1976. The couple married on Necker Island in 1989 and share two children, Holly and Sam, and five grandchildren. Despite Branson’s worldwide fame, Joan remained extremely private and avoided the spotlight throughout their decades together.
their love story
Branson and Templeman’s relationship dates back to 1976, when the young entrepreneur noticed her in a bric-a-brac shop in London’s Westbourne Grove, not far from the Virgin Records studio. Joan, who later married musician Ronnie Leahy, immediately caught Branson’s attention. Branson later wrote that he “fell in love from the first moment” he saw her, describing her as a “down-to-earth Scottish woman” unimpressed by his usual antics. Branson admitted that in an attempt to win her over, he visited the store multiple times and purchased “countless objects” until they finally started dating.
Her first marriage, to childhood sweetheart Ronnie Leahy, ended in 1978.
Two years after their relationship, Branson made a gesture that will become legendary. Hoping to impress Joan, he inquired about purchasing an island in the British Virgin Islands. Asking price: $6 million. Branson offered $100,000; This offer was so low that the real estate agent reportedly left the couple in a difficult situation.
A year later, with the island still unsold and Virgin Records in a stronger financial position, Branson purchased the 74-acre property for $180,000. He named it Necker Island and the couple got married there in 1989. Both children would later celebrate their own weddings on the island, which became the family’s permanent home.
For his 80th birthday in July, Branson posted a message of gratitude: “Thank you for being there for me through it all – the ups, the downs, and all the quiet, happy, peaceful moments in between… I love you more and more every year.”
