Richard Branson’s wife Joan’s cause of death revealed following passing

Richard Branson’s wife, Joan Templeman, sadly passed away last year at the age of 80. Richard confirmed the news last November, saying that she had died “painlessly” and “quickly”.

An inquest is being held over Joan’s death, and at a pre-inquest hearing, it was revealed that she had died from a blood clot that came following a fall.

The inquest isn’t being held to apportion any blame for Joan’s death, but at the full hearing, which is scheduled to be held later this year, it will examine whether she should have been prescribed blood thinners, given that she was also wearing anti-clot stockings.

Fiona Willcox, a senior coroner, confirmed that the inquest would examine whether prescribing Joan with the anti-coagulant Heparin could have prevented her death.

Speaking at the hearing, Richard and Joan’s daughter, Holly, said: “I believe mum had great care. The doctors saved her life three years ago, giving us all three more years together. We just want to help other families if there are any lessons to be learned.”

Joan’s passing

Joan died last November, with Richard sharing the sad news on his Instagram. In a tribute to his late wife, who he had married in 1989, the Virgin founder said: “She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan.”

In a separate post, Richard noted that he and his children were grieving the loss together. “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,” Richard explained.

“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 couple met in 1976 at The Manor, a live-in recording studio for Virgin Records, where Sir Richard said he ‘fell in love’ at first sight.

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In an article written for the Virgin website celebrating her 70th birthday, the entrepreneur previously said he fell in love with Joan “from the first moment I saw her” as she worked in a bric-a-brac shop in London’s Westbourne Grove.

Richard recalled he had to “persistently hang around the shop and buy countless objects”, including an old advertising sign, before the pair started to date.