Richard Branson tied the knot with his wife Joan Templeman on December 20, 1989. And it has been over 31 years now since the beautiful marital life started.
Through the years, the couple always held hands and showered love on each other. Together, they also welcomed two children: a daughter named Holly, born in 1981, and a son named Sam, born in 1985.
How It All Started
The English business magnate first met his wife in 1976 at The Manor, the live-in recording studio he built for Virgin Records, 13 years before they officially exchanged wedding vows.
“I often make up my mind about someone within 30 seconds of meetings them, and I fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her,” Branson recalled falling in love with his Scottish wife at first sight while writing a piece for his Virgin blog in February 2020.
After knowing she worked at an antique shop called Dodo, in Notting Hill, which was close to his office at Vernon Yard, he visited her shop one day. Following that moment, he became close to her.
Two years after they first met, he took her to a beautiful island in the British Virgin Islands. He even wanted to buy the island and gift it to her as a grand gesture of affection. But ironically, the now-billionaire could not afford to buy it then.
The 'Constant Rock' of Their Marriage
In that contributory article, Branson further stated his wife has always been a steady source of wisdom and played a huge part in making some of his life decisions better.
In his own words, he owes a lot to Templeman, including Necker Island, which he could not afford to buy in their initial days of romance.
Additionally, Branson, who went through a divorce with his first wife, Kristen Tomassi, considers his present wife “of 30 years, partner of 44 years, the mother of our two wonderful children” as the constant rock of their marriage.
On her birthday on July 6, 2021, he took to Instagram to declare that being with her was the "greatest adventure."
In the post, he shared a candid snap of them. Branson was seen with his left hand over Templeman's shoulder as he whispered in her ear.
A Tribute To His Wife before Going to Space
On July 11, 2021, Branson went into space, fulfilling his boyhood dream, along with a crew of five senior Virgin Galactic employees in his Virgin Galactic rocket ship.
But before he blasted 55 miles to the edge of space at three times the speed of sound, he took out time to speak about his beloved wife.
During a quick conversation with The Mail hours before lift-off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, Branson described his wife as “the most understanding wife on Earth.”
He also said he was taking his family pictures, including photos of his parents, children, and grandchildren, along with a pride flag.
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