Beloved queen of cakes and former Great British Bake-Off judge, Dame Mary Berry, has spoken movingly about how her Christian faith was deepened and became her anchor following the tragic loss of her teenage son, William, more than three decades ago.
As she marks her 90th year, Berry reflected on how grief transformed her spiritually, giving her the strength to keep going in the face of heartbreak after William died in a car accident in 1989 during a visit home from Bristol University.
He had borrowed his father’s car for a short trip to buy newspapers and was accompanied by his sister, Annabel, who survived the crash. He was just 19.
The accident left Mary and her husband, Paul Hunnings, devastated, but it was her faith in the belief of a reunion with her son in the afterlife that saw her through.
“When you have faith and tragedy hits you, you have a reason to go on and be strong. William’s death deepened my faith. Without its support, I really would have struggled. I absolutely believe I will see my son in the afterlife,” she said in a recent Yours interview.
Her Christian faith continues to shape how she lives her life and support others in mourning, and she has frequently opened up about the impact of losing William.
Speaking to the Mail Online last year, Dame Mary urged people to reach out to those who are grieving, especially at difficult times like Christmas: “I think I learned when we lost William how important it is to communicate or to talk with people who have lost one of their great family (members) or a friend. And not to walk down the street and cross to the other side of the road, but to go and just say something and try and remember something, a situation that you remember – how skilful they were, and what they won here – to get them to talk.
“Always include the widow or the widower when you’re having a few friends around. It will mean an awful lot to them,” she advised.
She shared how, after William’s death, small gestures of kindness and connection helped her immensely like the time a friend invited her to the Chelsea Flower Show - a moment that became a turning point.
“At that time I thought I won’t ever feel like it again but to have that to look forward to, and to have something new to wear, and I was quite keen on gardening.... It’s looking after those,” she reminisced.
Recalling the day of the accident on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2014, Dame Mary described the chilling moment when police arrived at her door: “It’s very strange but I knew something had happened. He said, I’m afraid to say your son has died and Annabel is in High Wycombe Hospital’. I remember thinking then, ‘I just hope Annabel’s alright.’”
She shared that it was a moment of both crushing grief and unexpected grace when she first saw Annabel in the hospital and realised she was unharmed. She recalled feeling "very blessed" to still have Annabel and Thomas even though they no longer had William.
Despite the tragedy, Berry has always spoken with gratitude for the years she had with William.
“It was a huge tragedy, but we had two more children, you know. We always think we were fortunate to have had him for 19 years,” she said in an interview with British Vogue last month.
Now, with her son Thomas aged 57, daughter Annabel 55, and five grandchildren, Berry reflects on how the tragedy ultimately drew her family even closer together.
She has been married to Paul for nearly 60 years, and credits him as her rock through the highs and lows of life.
“I was immensely lucky to have my husband. I have friends who’ve had tragedies and the husband and wife argue, or don't comfort each other,” she remarked on the podcast, Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth.
Faith, family and the simple joys of food remain central to her world but she has expressed sadness that families no longer gather at the table as they once did.
“You miss out on those special moments if you’re eating in front of the TV,” she said as there is no opportunity to view a “smile on a loved one’s face when you’ve made something from scratch.”
Dame Mary has received numerous accolades, including the National Television Award for Most Popular Talent Show Judge in 2017. Now, more than 35 years after the darkest chapter of her life, she continues to encourage others to reach out, support one another, and hold onto faith in difficult times.
“Life is all about sharing. If we are good at something, we should pass it on,” she said.
