Richard Branson has unveiled a poignant tribute to his late wife, Joan, with her portrait painted on the side of a new Virgin Atlantic aircraft.
Lady Joan Sarah Drummond Branson, Sir Richard Branson’s wife, died aged 80 in hospital on November 24, 2025, after suffering complications linked to a back injury sustained several weeks earlier.
Lady Branson has now been commemorated by her husband after Sir Richard revealed on Instagram that her likeness had been painted on the airline’s newest plane.
Sir Richard wrote: ‘So touching to see Virgin Atlantic’s new plane paying tribute to my wonderful wife, Joan.
‘Joan was part of the Virgin Atlantic story from the very beginning. From joining the inaugural flight in 1984 to suggesting the idea of collecting passengers’ loose change for charity on board – a practice later adopted by almost every airline in the world and which raised billions over the years.
‘She was always there.’
The aircraft’s design incorporates a number of deeply personal details, including the Branson family tartan, a heart-shaped necklace and the rings Lady Branson wore every day.
Adding another personal touch, the new jet has been named Viva Forever, after the Spice Girls’ Number 1 hit song, which was also Lady Branson’s favourite.
Sir Richard Branson’s tribute to his wife Joan includes personal details such as the Branson family tartan, a heart-shaped necklace and the rings she wore every day
Lady Branson died aged 80 on November 24, 2025, after complications from a back injury suffered several weeks earlier
The new Virgin Atlantic jet is named Viva Forever after the Spice Girls’ hit song, which was also Lady Branson’s favourite track
Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard’s airline and the third most popular carrier in the UK, has a long-standing tradition of naming aircraft after notable women and adorning their noses with its flying icon.
In 2021, the airline named an Airbus A350 Fearless Lady in honour of Eve Branson, Sir Richard’s mother, who died that year.
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The airline also introduced its Airbus A330neo Ruby Rebel in 2024 to mark Virgin Atlantic’s 40th anniversary. The aircraft features a figure inspired by Sir Richard’s daughter Holly, wearing a bracelet engraved with the initials J, S and H for Joan, Sam, his son, and Holly.
When Lady Branson died, her husband was in the same hospital, recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in a bicycle accident in India.
Announcing her death last year, the Virgin tycoon said: ‘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 said that Lady Branson had died ‘quickly and painlessly’, adding that he had shared lunch with her on the day she died.
The couple’s daughter Holly also paid tribute to her mother, reflecting on the ‘initial shock and pain’ of her loss and describing Joan as ‘one in a billion, brilliant and kind’.
Sir Richard and Glasgow-born Lady Branson first met in 1976 at The Manor, a former recording studio in Oxfordshire, and were married for 36 years
Posting photos with Joan throughout her childhood, Holly said she and her family ‘feel very loved’ following an outpouring of sympathies in the wake of her mother’s passing.
The family held a beachfront gathering for friends and family to remember her at his 74-acre private estate on Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands.
Sir Richard and Glasgow-born Lady Branson first met in 1976 at The Manor, a former recording studio in Oxfordshire.
At the time, the former model was working in an antiques shop in Notting Hill, not far from the Virgin office.
The couple went on to have three children, Holly, Sam and Clare Sarah. Clare Sarah died shortly after birth in 1979.