SO SAD: Tragic update into d3ath of Richard Branson’s wife after h0rror fall
Lady Joan Sarah Drummond Branson died in November 2025 (Image: Getty)
New details have emerged, nine months after Lady Joan Sarah Drummond Branson died at The Lister Hospital from a fall. In an inquest hearing this week, it was confirmed that Joan, 80, had died as a result of complications from a back injury.
According to The Sun, an expert stated that there had also been “clear evidence of pulmonary embolism,” which occurs when a blood clot blocks blood vessels in the lungs.
He added that there was an “overwhelming likelihood” that Joan was also left with deep vein thrombosis, where a blood clot forms in a vein. During the inquest, Professor Fiona Wilcox, senior coroner for Inner West London, declared that lessons must be learned from the tragic case. “I want to explore the facts, come to the correct conclusions and learn lessons from this,” she said.
As part of the inquest, Joan’s husband, Sir Richard Branson, and daughter, Holly, clarified that they had no intention of blaming anyone for her death. “I believe mum had great care. The doctors saved her life three years ago, giving us all three more years together,” Holly explained. “We just want to help other families if there are any lessons to be learned.”
According to an expert, there was evidence that Joan had a pulmonary embolism (Image: Getty)
Next week, an inquest is expected to decide whether Joan should have been prescribed blood thinners. It will also seek to determine if the 80-year-old had been wearing anti-clot stockings when she died.
A heartbreaking case, Virgin founder Richard announced that Joan had died in November last year. “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” he 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. Love you forever, Joan.”
In a separate post, Richard added that he and his two kids, Holly and Sam, had come together to mourn his beloved wife of 36 years. “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,” he said.
“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 a 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.
“We had a lovely lunch that day. She was in positive spirits and getting stronger. She smiled at me, that radiant smile that lit up her whole face, the same smile I fell in love with the very first moment I saw her, half a century ago. Then suddenly, she was gone, quickly and painlessly. And thankfully, I was right by her side. It brings us all great comfort to know we were together.”
Richard concluded: “Joan was my everything, the shining star around which our family’s universe has always orbited. That light is not gone; it’s just taken on a new shape. It will guide us forward. And we will carry her with us, always.”
