Holly Branson, daughter of Sir Richard Branson, has praised her parents for their open-mindedness and unconditional love after revealing she identified as a boy for seven years during her childhood. In a heartfelt Instagram post celebrating her mother Joan's 80th birthday, Holly shared the valuable lessons she learned from her 'open-minded, empathetic and kind' mother.
Holly wrote: 'When we were kids, I’m sure we drove Mum wild sometimes. Forty years ago, the world was very different and having a daughter who decided from the age of four that she wanted to be a boy must have been difficult to navigate back then. Mum (and Dad) never made me feel like I was strange in any way, and I am so thankful to them both for this.'
She added that her mother allowed her and her brother Sam to be 'totally free to become the people we wanted to be' without pressure. Holly, now a mother herself, said she calls on her 'inner Joan' when her own children challenge her patience, remembering that unconditional love and support require patience.
In a previous podcast interview, Holly explained that from age four to nearly 11, she believed she was a boy. She credited her parents for their acceptance, saying they let her be who she wanted to be without questioning it.
