Richard Branson has shared a video capturing a "special family moment" from a celebration of life service for his late wife, Joan, held on New Year's Eve at his Necker Island estate in the British Virgin Islands. Joan Branson, aged 80, passed away in November of the previous year due to complications from a back injury sustained in a fall.
The video shows Branson, 75, embracing his daughter Holly, 44, and son Sam, 40, and dancing on the sand with his grandchildren. He described the occasion as a "very special family moment celebrating our beloved Joan with our kids, grandkids, family and friends." The family danced to "The Happy Song," a track by his son Sam, who records music under the moniker Waves Rush In.
Branson had previously shared that the New Year's service was filled with "songs, laughter and tears all in honour of the most incredible partner, mum, grandmother, and friend." The family chose to honor Joan's "otherworldly presence" during the brightest moon of the year on the final day of a "beautiful month."
It was confirmed in May that Joan died from a blood clot two weeks after a fall. She passed away at The Lister Hospital on November 24, 2025. A pre-inquest hearing indicated that the family, including Richard and their children, does not intend to apportion blame over her death. A full inquest is scheduled for September of this year.
At the pre-inquest hearing, Holly Branson stated, "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." Senior Coroner Professor Fiona Wilcox informed the court that expert witnesses would testify on whether prescribing the anti-coagulant Heparin could have prevented Joan Branson's death.
At the time of Joan's death, Richard Branson was in the same hospital, recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in a bike accident in India. He announced her passing last year, expressing his heartbreak and calling her his "best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world." He later added that she had died "quickly and painlessly" and that they had shared lunch on the day of her death.
Holly Branson also shared an emotional tribute, reflecting on the "initial shock and pain" of her mother's passing and describing her as "one in a billion, brilliant and kind." She added that she and her family "feel very loved" following the outpouring of sympathies.
Richard and Joan Branson, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, first met in 1976. At the time, Joan, a former model, worked in an antiques shop in Notting Hill, London.