Richard Branson's Wife Joan Templeman: Marriage Timeline, Daughter's Death, Necker Island As A Gift

Richard Branson's wife, Joan Templeman, died at the age of 80 on November 25, 2025. The billionaire business magnate shared the unfortunate news of her demise through an emotional post on Instagram. The doting husband shared a beautiful picture of his wife in a red dress and penned a long note in the caption. In his note, Branson admitted he was left heartbroken after Templeman passed away, which ended their partnership of almost 50 years. For the uninitiated, the couple met for the first time in 1976 and got married in 1989.

Richard Branson's wife, Joan Templeman, died at 80: Virgin Group's co-founder posted an old picture with her two days before her demise

Further, in his note, Richard Branson also stated that his late wife, Joan Templeman, was the 'most wonderful mum and grandmum' their kids and grandkids could ask for. He ended his note by saying that she was his best friend, his rock, his guiding light, and his world. The last line of the billionaire's heartbreaking note was "Love you forever, Joan x", and it left everyone in tears. From renowned personalities to ordinary people, everyone in the comment section offered their kind condolences to Branson.

Regarding the cause behind Joan Templeman's death, it is not known as of now, as the family has yet to disclose it. Amid the buzz over the passing of Richard Branson's wife, people are once again talking about life's unpredictability. For the uninitiated, two days before Templeman's death, her businessman-husband posted their unseen old picture from February 1998. The couple looked so happy and could be seen twinning in black. Along with the picture, Branson penned, "Love this photo of Joan," and after just two days, Templeman passed away.

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman's love story: She worked at an antique shop, and he purchased Necker Island for her

Moving on to Richard Branson and Joan Templeman's love story, the co-founder of the Virgin Group met her for the first time near The Manor. Once, in one of his old blog posts, Branson mentioned it and revealed that Templeman worked at an antique shop called Dodo in Notting Hill, which was close to his Virgin office at Venom Yard. Branson admitted that he nervously stood outside the antique shop before finally entering and pretending to be interested in the old signs they were selling. In the following weeks, he continued visiting the shop and buying many things just to see and meet Templeman.

Soon, they became friends and started dating, and two years after their first meeting in 1976, Richard Branson decided to make an offer for Necker Island as a tribute to Joan Templeman. Yes! You read it right, an island. In the same blog post, Branson discussed it and shared that, at the time, his company, Virginia Records, was still in its initial stage, so he didn't have the cash to buy it. However, he was so much in love with Templeman that he purchased the island for USD 180,000. Finally, they married in 1989 on the same island and lived there until Templeman's death separated them.

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman's children: First daughter, Clare Sarah, died days after her premature birth

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman's first child, a baby girl, was born prematurely (three months) in 1979, and they chose the name Clare Sarah for her. Unfortunately, she died after just four days, leaving her newbie parents absolutely heartbroken. It was the toughest phase of their married life, but it also strengthened their bond, and in 1981, Templeman gave birth to a baby girl, whom they named Holly. After that, in 1985, the beautiful couple welcomed another child, this time a baby boy, Sam. Both children followed in their parents' footsteps and married their respective partners at Necker Island.

Meet Richard Branson's first wife, Kristen Tomassi, who was a student of architecture

Despite being the wife of one of the richest people on earth, Joan Templeman always prioritized being low-key and avoiding the public eye since the beginning of their relationship. Over the decades, we have seen Richard Branson credit his wife for all his success and for being his constant source of motivation. However, not everyone is aware of the fact that Templeman is Branson's second wife. The billionaire business magnate was previously married to Kristen Tomassi, who was an architecture student.

According to reports, Richard Branson and Kristen Tomassi met back in the early 1970s. The ex-couple met through creative, bohemian social circles and began dating in 1971. After dating each other for almost a year, they got married in 1972 at the Holy Cross Church, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire. At the time of their wedding, while Branson was 21, Kristen was 20, and they lived partly at Manor House/ Manor Studios. Due to differences in their lifestyles and personalities, they started drifting apart.

Joan Templeman became the anchor of Richard Branson's life after his painful divorce from his first wife, Kristen Tomassi

Kristen Tomassi was a private person, while Richard Branson's public image became overwhelming for her, and soon, both realised they had rushed the wedding. The young couple parted ways sometime between 1974 and 1975. Since their divorce, not much has been heard of Kristen, while Branson found Joan Templeman in 1976, and the rest is history. Templeman not only healed him but also made him believe in true love and became the anchor of his journey to become a billionaire.

What are your thoughts on Richard Branson and Joan Templeman's beautiful love story? Let us know.

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