Richard BransonAccording to an inquest, Joan’s wife likely suffered a fatal blood clot in her lungs after a fall.
Lady Joan Sarah Drummond Branson, 80, died on November 24 at the Lister Hospital in Chelsea, west Londonafter a previous fall.
After her death, Virgin tycoon Sir Richard described her as the “shining star around which our family’s universe has always revolved.”
A full inquest into Lady Joan’s death will take place on September 9, with several witnesses set to testify.
Professor Fiona Wilcox, senior coroner for Inner West London, told a virtual hearing ahead of the inquest on Wednesday that the coroner’s court is not about ‘point scoring’.
She added: ‘I want to explore the facts, come to the right conclusions and learn lessons from this.’
An expert who provided a report for the inquest said at Wednesday’s hearing that there was “clear evidence of a pulmonary embolism” – a blood clot in the lungs.
He also said the ‘overwhelming likelihood is that there is a DVT’ (deep vein thrombosis) – a blood clot in a vein.
Lady Joan Sarah Drummond Branson with Sir Richard. She died in hospital on November 24
The couple on their wedding day on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands with their children Holly and Sam
Lawyers representing Lister Hospital, which is part of HCA Healthcare UK, attended the pre-inquest hearing.
In honor of Lady Joan, Sir Richard wrote: ‘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 has shaped our family more than words could ever capture.
‘It was a relationship that worked. We just laughed a lot. We were very lucky.’
At a hearing at the same court in May, I heard that her family, namely Sir Richard, 76, their daughter Holly, 44, and their son Sam, 41, have no intention of apportioning blame for the death.
At that hearing, Holly said: ‘I think mum took a lot of care. The doctors saved her life three years ago, allowing us all to live together for another three years.
“We just want to help other families if there are lessons to be learned.”
Lady Branson had a history of blood clots, the court heard, dating back to at least 2010.
When she woke up one morning in 2018, she discovered that her leg was three times its normal size.
After going to hospital, she and Sir Richard were told she had a series of blood clots from her ankle to her groin, in one of the worst cases doctors said they had seen.
Lady Branson was prescribed the blood thinner warfarin and fitted with a compression stocking, but was warned she was still at risk of a ‘major pulmonary embolism’.
She had to undergo emergency surgery to place an umbrella structure in her leg, which prevented the clots from entering her lungs.
At the time of Lady Branson’s death, her husband was in the same hospital as her after injuring his shoulder in a cycling accident in India.
The couple’s daughter, Holly, recently shared an emotional tribute to her late mother as she reflected on the ‘initial shock and pain’ of her death
Sir Richard and Lady Branson first met in 1976 at The Manor, a former recording studio in Oxfordshire
Announcing her death, Sir Richard described Lady Branson as ‘my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world’
Sharing the news last year, he said: ‘I am heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner of fifty years, has passed away.
“She was the most wonderful mother and grandmother our children and grandchildren could have ever asked for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. I love you forever, Joan.”
He later added that Lady Branson died “quickly and painlessly,” and that he had lunch with her on the day of her death.
Holly also shared an emotional tribute to her late mother as she reflected on the “initial shock and pain” of her death, describing her as “one in a billion, brilliant and kind.”
Posting photos with Joan during her childhood, Holly said she and her family “feel very loved” following an outpouring of condolences following her mother’s death.
The family held a beachside gathering for friends and family to remember her at his 74-acre private estate on Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands.
Last week, Sir Richard shared a video from the service, showing him hugging Holly and Sam and dancing on the sand with his grandchildren.
“A very special family moment celebrating our beloved Joan with our children, grandchildren, family and friends,” Richard captioned the footage, adding that they were dancing to “the best possible soundtrack” – his son Sam’s song The Happy Song, recorded under his name Waves Rush In.
Sir Richard previously said the special New Year’s service was filled with “songs, laughter and tears, all in honor of the most incredible partner, mother, grandmother and friend.”
He revealed that the family had chosen to honor Joan’s “otherworldly presence” under the “brightest moon of the year” on the last day of a “beautiful month.”
Sir Richard and Glasgow-born Lady Branson first met in 1976 at The Manor, a former recording studio in Oxfordshire, England.
The former model worked in an antique shop in Notting Hill at the time, not far from the Virgin Records office.
The couple had three children, Holly, Sam and Clare Sarah. Clare Sarah died shortly after birth in 1979.
