Dame Mary Berry says ‘respect’ is most important thing for lasting marriage

Dame Mary Berry has said “respect” is the most important thing for a successful marriage.

The British cook revealed her secret to marital bliss ahead of her 90th birthday, and advised not to go to bed “on a quarrel”.

Dame Mary, who left Bake Off in 2016 when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4, said: “Love, of course, but respect is so important.

“And I don’t count the decades too closely.

“We never raise our voices at each other because, you know, we love each other.

“If I’m a bit miffed, I very often think, ‘Well, I’m not gonna say that right now’.

“I’ll go to the greenhouse and do some cuttings.”

She added: “Happiness is very, very important, but it can be elusive sometimes. You have to look after it.”

She and her husband have children Thomas and Annabel, as well as a son named William who died in a car crash in 1989 when he was 19.

She said: “It’s absolutely amazing in my 90th year to think that William died all that time ago.

“If he walked in that door over there, I would say: ‘Where have you been?’ It wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

“It was a huge tragedy, but we did have two more children.

“We always think we were fortunate to have had him for 19 years.

Dame Mary has written more than 80 cookery books, becoming a UK household name for her recipes and tips.

She was made a Dame Commander by the Prince of Wales in 2021 for a lifetime of cooking, writing and baking.

In December, she was announced the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women In Film And Television Awards.

The full interview can be read in the April Issue of British Vogue.