‘I want to live near mum now’: Mary Berry supporting ‘heartbroken’ daughter through ‘grief’ of marriage split
Annabel 'Belles' Berry has announced her divorce from her husband of 24 years
Dame Mary Berry's daughter Annabel 'Belles' Berry has a close bond with her famous mum, and she now needs her more than ever after announcing her divorce from her husband of 24 years.
After often speaking about her own very traditional marriage and the two rules she swears by to ensure a happy union, it appears Mary has been one of the greatest supports to her daughter who has been left "heartbroken" and "grieving" after her marriage to husband Dan came to an end.
"Mum is incredibly positive," Belles shares with Hello! magazine, adding, "She just wants me and the children to be happy." Belles has needed to put the house she shared with her former husband on the market in the aftermath of the split.
She feels upset by this, but now hopes to live nearer to Mary and her dad, Paul while trying to move on from the difficulty of her recent circumstances.
"It's time to let it go and pass it on," she says of her former home in Ewelme, adding, "I would like to be near Mum and Dad in Henley-on-Thames."
Sharing insight into her feelings since splitting from Dan, with whom she shares children Louis, 21, Hobie, 18, and Atalanta, 15, Belles is incredibly candid.
"When you get married, you think [you’ll be] together forever," she says, adding, "I really never thought this would happen. It’s heartbreaking."
Belles reveals she is sometimes hit by grief that feels like "a tsunami," but is learning to "ride the storm."
The chef also shares there have been times when she's "broken down," but says positively, "I know I will come up again… it is just part of the grieving process."
Belles reports feeling "stronger every day" and ready to "rebuild" for what she hopes will be a "phenomenal" next chapter.
Clearly delighting in the time she gets to spend with her mother, Belles shares the sweet things they do when they're in each other's company.
"We were in the kitchen in Salcombe," she says, continuing, "My brother Tom had caught some spider crabs and I found an octopus in my lobster pot, so Mum and I were the fishwives at the sink preparing them."
Offering more intel into their close relationship, she says, "Mum often comes over for a Sunday roast and we go for a walk, picking flowers or mushrooms."
"We have a wonderful annual event where my parents take all the children and grandchildren on holiday. We love going to Crete."
Unsurprisingly, with the split being so recent, Belles isn't in a hurry to move on to a new relationship.
"The apps absolutely terrify me", she shares, saying sensibly, "I think I'll wait and see what comes to me."
