Dame Mary Berry has opened her heart about the quiet family ritual that keeps the memory of her late son William alive — more than three decades after his life was tragically cut short.

The beloved former Great British Bake Off judge, now 91, lost her son William in 1989 when he was just 19 years old. He had been home from Bristol Polytechnic and had borrowed the family car to collect the weekend newspapers near their home when the devastating crash happened.

His sister Annabel, who was also in the car, survived.

For any mother, such a loss is almost impossible to put into words. But Mary has never tried to erase William from the family story. Instead, she has made sure his name, his face and his spirit remain part of everyday life.

Every Christmas, the Berry family still raises a glass to Will.

There are photographs of him around the home. His nieces and nephews, though they never had the chance to meet him, have grown up knowing who he was. In Mary’s family, William is not spoken of as someone forgotten in the past. He is remembered as someone still deeply loved.

Mary explained that some people choose to move forward by not speaking about the pain, but her family has chosen another way. For them, remembering William is not about reopening wounds. It is about keeping love alive.

Her grandson Hobie, the son of Mary’s daughter Annabel, has even spoken tenderly about the uncle he never met. When he was doing well at rugby, he wondered whether William would have been proud of him.

For Mary, that simple question meant everything.

It showed that William’s presence still reaches across generations — from the son she lost to the grandchildren who know him only through stories, memories and love.

Mary said the family has often reminded themselves how lucky they were to have had William at all, and what a wonderful life he gave them during his short time with them.

It is a heartbreaking but deeply moving way to look at grief.

Rather than allowing tragedy to define William’s memory, Mary has chosen gratitude. She remembers the joy, the laughter, the talent and the love he brought into their lives.

That strength has also shaped how she comforts others.

As friends of her own age begin to lose their partners, Mary says she tries to speak warmly about those who have died. She believes people often appreciate hearing kind memories of the loved ones they have lost.

She knows this from her own experience.

After William died, Mary found comfort when people came up to her and shared affectionate memories of him. Hearing that others remembered him as a “smashing chap” helped keep him close.

It is a lesson she has carried ever since: silence does not always heal. Sometimes, the most comforting thing is simply to say the name of the person who is missed.

Mary’s reflections also reveal the private strength behind one of Britain’s most cherished television figures.

Millions know her as the elegant, warm and wise judge from The Great British Bake Off, where she became a national treasure between 2010 and 2016. But behind the calm smile and graceful presence is a mother who has carried an unimaginable loss for 37 years.

And still, she chooses love.

Mary has shared three children with her husband Paul Hunnings: Thomas, William and Annabel. She and Paul married in 1966 and are marking 60 years together this year — a remarkable milestone in a life touched by both joy and heartbreak.

Speaking about their marriage, Mary said they have never truly rowed, explaining that she cannot bear shouting. Instead, she has learned to step away, gather her thoughts and let small frustrations pass.

Her garden, she says, has often helped her do that.

When something annoys her, Mary walks outside and gives herself time before deciding whether anything really needs to be said. Often, she chooses peace.

She also believes in the power of saying sorry, even when it is difficult.

That quiet wisdom — gentle, practical and deeply human — is part of why Mary remains so loved. She does not present grief, marriage or family life as perfect. She speaks of them with honesty, tenderness and experience.

Her words come after another major honour in her extraordinary career. Mary was recently named a BAFTA Fellow, the Academy’s highest honour, joining a prestigious group that includes figures such as Sir David Attenborough and Dame Judi Dench.

Yet even in that proud moment, her thoughts turned to family.

Mary admitted that when something so special happens, the first instinct is to wish her parents were still here so she could call them and share the news.

It was another reminder that, for Mary Berry, legacy is not only about awards, fame or television success.

It is about family.

It is about the people who shaped her, the people she loved, and the son whose memory still lives inside every Christmas toast, every family story and every photograph kept close.

William may have been taken far too young, but in Mary’s home, he has never disappeared.

He remains part of the family’s language.

Part of their celebrations.

Part of their love.

And more than 30 years later, a mother’s devotion continues to keep his memory alive.