Shirtless Richard Branson, 75, works up a sweat in the gym and reassures followers his ‘shoulder recovery is going well’ after wearing a sling to his late wife Joan’s memorial

Sir Richard Branson has reassured his followers his ‘shoulder recovery is going well’ as he worked up a sweat in the gym in an Instagram post on Thursday.

The business mogul, 75, went shirtless during an exercise session on Necker Island after revealing he’d injured his shoulder when he attended his late wife Joan’s memorial over New Year.

Revealing he was in the process of exercising his injured arm, Richard told his fans he was well on the road to recovery.

The Virgin Group magnate travelled to his estate in the British Virgin Islands for a special service to honour his late wife Joan, following her death in November. 

He captioned his snap: ‘New Year workouts: Good arm is growing – but bad arm is shrinking! Thankfully shoulder recovery is going well.’

It came just a day after Richard shared a snap of his arm in a sling while nursing his shoulder injury.

He wrote: ‘A rainbow over Necker to welcome the new year. Thanks for all the well-wishes, my shoulder is on the mend and the family and I spent some restful time together sharing memories over the break.’

Richard recently paid tribute to his late wife in an emotional New Year service filled with ‘songs, laughter and tears.’  

The event included Branson’s two children with Joan, Holly, 44, and Sam, 40, both of whom were born before the couple’s marriage on Necker Island in 1989. 

In video footage shared across social media, Branson, who appeared to be nursing an arm injury, his children and an assortment of friends were seen dressed in matching white shirts as they walked single file across the island’s rugged coastline. 

The Virgin tycoon later gave a speech in honour of his late wife, whose cause of death has not been disclosed, as guests raised flutes of champagne.  

Captioning the posts, he wrote: ‘My family and I have always believed in celebrating people’s lives, while they are with us and after they are gone. That is exactly what we did for Joan.

‘We held a beautiful celebration on Necker Island. There were stories, songs, laughter, and tears, all in honour of the most incredible partner, mum, grandmother, and friend.’ 

Branson revealed the family had chosen to honour Joan’s ‘otherworldly presence’ beneath the ‘brightest moon of the year’ on the final day of a ‘beautiful month.’ 

Separate images captured the businessman and his son in deep reflection while sat beneath the rising moon on Necker Island’s sweeping beach.  

Sharing his own posts from the service, son Sam wrote: ‘A very special service for a very special woman.’

Speaking in November, Branson told Instagram followers how the devoted couple ‘never missed an opportunity to show love’ and always tried to make ‘incredible’ memories together.

He wrote: ‘My sister @VanessaGBranson said we are experiencing uncomplicated grief, because we had such wonderful relationships with Joan, never missing an opportunity to share and show love, saying all we wanted to say and making incredible memories together’.

‘It made me think again how important it is to ensure you are on good terms with everyone in your life, as you never know when it will be too late. Life is short’.

Daughter Holly also shared an emotional tribute to her late mother as she reflected on the ‘initial shock and pain’ of her passing, describing her as ‘one in a billion, brilliant and kind’.

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.

She captioned the post: ‘It’s taken a couple of weeks for me to write this, because how do you put 44 years of unconditional love into words?

‘That’s what sums up my amazing mum. She oozed love to everyone in her orbit and made everyone feel special. Especially me and Freddie, Sam and Bellie, Dad, and her precious grandchildren. We were her world and we knew it. I feel so thankful for that.

‘You know that your parents are going to die one day, but somehow your brain never really prepares you for the inevitable. People say time is a healer and in the space of two weeks, I can see that.

‘The initial shock and pain has shifted into a deep gratitude that I had such a brilliant, kind, caring mum who always showered us all with love.

‘Mum, you are one in a billion and I am trying to be more like you every day. The other day I was shopping with [Joan’s granddaughter] Etta and let her get a few more bits than I would have normally.

‘Etta turned to me and said, ‘You’re channelling your inner Amma.’ That is exactly what I want to do. Channel you every day to be the best wife, mum, and, one day, grandparent I can be.

‘Thank you so much for all the lovely messages, cards, flowers and hugs over the last couple of weeks.

‘I haven’t replied to everyone, but I’ve read every single one and they have meant more than I can say. We feel very loved and very held from all over the world.’ 

Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group, which includes businesses like Virgin Atlantic airline, space tourism company Virgin Galactic and the cruise line Virgin Voyages.

In a 2020 blog post, he said he met Joan in 1976 at The Manor, a former recording studio in Oxfordshire, England.’Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady and I quickly realised she wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics,’ Branson wrote.