Richard Branson Posted Sweet, Decades-Old Photo of Wife Joan 2 Days Before Sharing News of Her Death

Sir Richard Branson shared a sweet post about his wife, just two days before the news of her death.

The billionaire Virgin founder took to Instagram to share a photo of himself and his wife, Joan Templeman, from February 1998. The pair have their arms wrapped around one another, Branson with a big smile and one fist raised in the air in celebration and Templeman grinning alongside him with her face tucked into his shoulder.

He captioned it simply, "Love this photo of Joan."

A few days later, the post takes on greater meaning, and offers a window into the businessman's mindset when sharing it. On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Branson shared the news that Templeman died at age 80.

“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” Branson wrote on Instagram. “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," he added.

The couple wed in 1989 on Branson's famous private retreat in the Caribbean, Necker Island. They welcomed three children together: Holly, 44, Sam, 40 and Clare Sarah, who died as an infant.

In a February 2020 blog post, Branson reflected on his first-ever meeting with his wife. "I often make up my mind about someone within 30 seconds of meeting them," he wrote. "And I fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her."