Covid 19 coronavirus: Richard Branson's mother dies after contracting the virus

Richard Branson announced the news in a touching blog post paying tribute to his mum. Photo / Virgin.com

Eve Branson, mother of Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, has died of coronavirus.

She was 96.

Branson shared the news in a blog post, where he wrote she "held on for one last victory, managing to fight off the virus". However, he wrote, "she expended all of her energy in the process".

"One of my wonderful sisters, Vanessa, and nephew Louis were with her until the end, as were the wonderful nurses who she entertained with tales from her life and much laughter over glasses of whisky.

"Rather than mourn her loss, I want to celebrate her wonderful life, her tremendous spirit, the joy she brought to so many, and the love she gave us all."

Sir Richard Branson and his mother, and award recipient, Eve Branson at the AltaMed Health Services' Power Up, We Are The Future Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 12, 2016. Photo / Getty Images

In the post, Branson described his late mum as "a force of nature".

"She lived many remarkable lives. She took glider lessons disguised as a boy, enlisted in the WRENS during World War II, toured Germany as a ballet dancer after the war, acted on the West End stage and worked as a pioneering air hostess on the treacherous British South American Airways routes. When I was growing up she was always working a project; she was inventive, fearless, relentless - an entrepreneur before the word existed."

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The billionaire, whose father died in 2011, also credits the start of Virgin to £100 given to him by his mother after she sold a necklace.

Sir Richard Branson and his mother Eve Branson look on from the Royal Box on Centre Court on day seven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships. Photo / Getty Images

The name of one of Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, VMS Eve, is named after her.

"She will always be my mothership, but she is also the proud grandmother of 11 and great-grandmother of 10, all of whom love her dearly and miss her greatly," he wrote.

"I'm looking at another wonderful note from mum, which seems an apt way to end: 'Everyone is precious and all loved. There's room in my heart for even more, so bless you all, looking forward to building sandcastles on the beach'."