'Quick and painlessly': Sir Richard Branson reveals new details about wife Joan's death

Sir Richard Branson has penned an emotional post for his late wife Joan.

The 75-year-old billionaire businessman revealed she died "quickly and painlessly" at age 80, as he shared new details about their final days together. 

Richard, who was with Joan for almost 50 years, started the post by saying he was with their two children, Holly, 44 and Sam, 40, trying to "smile through the tears". 

"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 wrote. 

"Fate has a strange way of working." 

Richard explained he had suffered a shoulder injury after coming off his bike in India, and back in England Joan was in hospital herself, recovering from a back injury. 

"In the way life sometimes surprises you, I found myself moved to a room just down the corridor from her," he continued. 

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"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."

Richard wrote they had a lovely lunch together and Joan was in positive spirits, 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," he continued. 

"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 reflected on their "incredible" final year together, celebrating milestones like her 80th birthday, Sam's 40th birthday and "countless moments where she was beaming with happiness." 

"She lived so fully and joyfully, always thinking of others, always lifting everyone else up. To see her so happy in those last months is something we will treasure forever," he continued. 

"Life will never be the same without her. But we have fifty incredible years of memories - years filled with tears and laughter, kindness, and a love that shaped our family more than words could ever capture. It was a relationship that worked. We just had lots of laughs. We were very lucky." 

Richard added that as much as the family is broken by what's happened, they're looking at the positive and the time they had with Joan. 

"We are devastated she is gone. But I am far more grateful for the extraordinary gift of the life we shared - with our remarkable kids, Sam and Holly, and our wonderful grandkids, who adored her (and her sweets!) just as deeply as I did," he wrote. 

"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." 

Richard also shared some candid family shots from their life together, ranging from black and white to her birthday celebrations and some with their children when they were young. 

The post was flooded with messages of support and condolences from friends and famous faces. 

On November 26, Richard shared the heartbreaking news that Joan had died, making the announcement in a statement on Instagram.

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