Pauline Collins Admitted Giving Secret Child Up for Adoption Was 'Awful'
Pauline Collins revealed that giving up her firstborn child for adoption was the most heartbreaking decision she ever made, though she was later reunited with her daughter.
Personal Struggles and Family Background
At 22, while working as an actress in Ireland, Pauline became pregnant with her first child. She chose to put her daughter, Louise, up for adoption, a decision she kept secret from friends and family for years.
Pauline, of Irish descent, grew up as a devout Catholic in Wallasey, Cheshire.
Reflections from Her Memoir
"I had her adopted when she was six weeks old," Collins wrote in her 1992 memoir Letter To Louise. "It was the most awful thing ever to do. It's extraordinary how you make these decisions in life. I thought my reasons for doing so were good. They were partly familial because my parents were teachers at Catholic schools and partly because I had not a penny in the world and nothing to offer this child. It is extraordinary thinking about it now because it means so little now."
Later Life and Passing
The legendary actress, known for Shirley Valentine, passed away peacefully this week in her care home in Highgate, North London, after several years battling Parkinson’s disease. Her family noted she was surrounded by loved ones.
Her openness about the adoption and subsequent reunion with her daughter highlights a deeply personal chapter of her life.
Summary: Pauline Collins described giving up her daughter for adoption at 22 as a devastating yet necessary act shaped by her circumstances, later finding some peace through reunion.