Richard Branson has taken to Instagram to praise a memorial created for his late wife, Joan Templeman, inside a monastery in Bhutan.
The serial entrepreneur and devoted family man announced in November that Ms Templeman had passed away peacefully “quickly and painlessly” at the age of 80.
Sharing his grief online, he wrote: “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away.
“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.”
He later told followers he had been “right by her side” when she died, describing a “twist of fate” that meant the pair ended up together in hospital after he injured his shoulder in India and she was recovering from a back injury in England.
“Fate has a strange way of working,” he wrote.
“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.”
Mr Branson said they enjoyed “a lovely lunch” and that Joan was in positive spirits: “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.”
He said she then passed “quickly and painlessly”, adding: “Thankfully, I was right by her side. It brings us all great comfort to know we were together.”
On Saturday, Mr Branson posted a series of photos showing Joan’s image framed and surrounded by candles and monks offering prayers at a Bhutanese monastery, a gesture especially meaningful due to his long-standing ties with Buddhist monks and repeated visits to Bhutan over the years.
Mr Branson has often described his visits to the country’s monasteries as “remarkable” and “incredibly enlightening”, crediting them for shaping his approach to mindfulness and meditation.
He later introduced meditation-focused Virgin Australia flights to promote the practice.
In his tribute post, he wrote: “Thank you so much to everyone who has been in touch and shown so much love for Joan and our family over the past few days. It means the world to us.
“We are also incredibly touched to see what the King of Bhutan, the monks and the people of Bhutan have done for Joan in the main monastery.”
He called the display “so beautiful and kind” and added: “I know Joan would hope this brings comfort to anyone reading this who has lost someone close to them.”
Celebrities and fans flooded the comments, showing their support.
American humanitarian Michael Capponi wrote: “The most incredible souls praying for the other half of your soul that’s journeying,” while Alison Cork MBE added: “What a beautiful gesture. A reminder that humanity is universal and has no borders.”
GB News presenter Lizzie Cundy commented: “What a loving gesture. Thinking of you all so much.”
One fan of the couple wrote: “A wonderful gesture to someone who clearly left her mark. Sending thoughts to you all xx.”
Another added: “It just shows the impact you and your family have had on the globe. May Joan rest in peace.”
A third said: “Amazing yet so sad. Keep strong. Your love for her will never fade.”
Mr Branson and Ms Templeman met in 1976 while she was working at a shop in Westbourne Grove, London.
In his blog Behind Every Man There’s a Great Woman, he recalled falling in love instantly with the “blonde-haired, down-to-earth Scottish beauty.”
He later wrote: “She was beautiful. She was bright. She was witty. She was down to earth. She was fun. And she had eyes made of magic.”
The couple married in 1989 on Necker Island, eleven years after meeting, when their children Holly and Sam were eight and four.
Joan became a devoted mother and later a beloved grandmother to five grandchildren: Etta, Artie, Lola, Eva-Deia and Bluey.