This month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued an apology for the government's role in historical forced adoptions.11:33, 06 Jul 2026Diana Defries shared her thoughts on Keir Starmer's apology after her daughter was taken from her.‌Throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s, roughly 185,000 babies were forcibly taken from young mothers due to their being unmarried, which was deemed to make them unfit at the time.‌Sadly, this was an experience that Diana Defries went through when she was 16 years old.‌At the time, her daughter was taken away from her 12 days after she gave birth, as she recalled being sent back to school shortly after having to act as though nothing had happened to her.On Monday's This Morning (July 6), she spoke to ITV presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley to share her thoughts on the Prime Minister's apology, something she's waited five decades for.‌Diana, who was there during the apology, told the ITV stars: "Initially, it was a very emotional experience because no one has really publicly acknowledged the injustice and he did that for us."He did that for everyone affected. It was done sympathetically, compassionalty and with tremendous consideration of the aspects of this experience and the way it effects different people."So, yes, it was very emotional, but it was also a relief because finally we've been seen and we've been understood and heard."‌Diana touched more on her experience as a teenager, admitting she had been abandoned by her baby's father and kept it a secret for as long as she could.When her pregnancy was discovered, she described it as 'hell breaking loose' as everything happened to her quickly and she was unable to stop it.‌Giving birth in 1974, Diana detailed the moment she gave birth, admitting the medical staff didn't speak to her and were efficient in their role. She added: "They weren't kind in any way, there was no reassurance, there was nobody to hold my hand."Afterwards, she told Ben and Cat that she was left with her daughter for four hours alone in a room, but was unable to reach her as she was on the other side of the room.‌She added that the longest time she held her daughter was when she was going back to London after leaving the hospital.Diana added: "I held her all the way back, we got to the adoption agency, and I was still holding her. The woman came out and said, 'It's time'. She was pulled from my arms with me saying 'No,' they pulled her out of my arms and handed her over."However, she explained that since then, she has rekindled with her daughter when she was 18 years old, and they have built a relationship.Article continues belowDuring the Prime Minister's apology, he stated: "The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours."This Morning is available to watch weekdays on ITV from 10am