Madeleine McCann disappeared on the evening of May 3, 2007, from the Portuguese holiday apartment she was sharing with her parents, Kate and Gerry, and siblings Sean and Amelie. Maddie was three years old at the time, and due to turn four on May 12, 2007, meaning that tomorrow she would be celebrating her sixteenth birthday. In 2015, seven years after their daughter’s disappearance, Kate and Gerry spoke to the BBC about how they continue to mark Madeleine’s birthday.

Interviewer Fiona Bruce, asked the couple if Madeleine’s birthday was the more difficult day, as opposed to the anniversary of the disappearance.

Kate replied: “Yeah, definitely.”

She continued: “We always remember her and do something, we always have a cake.” 

Gerry added: “We have her birthday with close family and the twins, but it’s hard, it’s really hard.

“She’s not there, and she should be celebrating.

“It’s by far the toughest day of our year.”

Kate McCann also spoke about the heartbreak of marking Madeleine’s birthdays in her 2011 book “Madeleine: Our daughter’s disappearance and the continuing search for her”.

She wrote: “As we’ve continued to do since, we had a tea party at home with balloons cake, cards, and presents.

“The presents go into Madeleine’s room to await her return.

“Her pink bedroom remains exactly as it was when she left it but it’s a lot busier now.”

Speaking ahead of this year’s anniversary, Kate and Gerry said:  “It’s that time of year again. As much as we’d like to fast forward the first couple of weeks of May, there’s no getting around it.

“There is comfort and reassurance though in knowing that the investigation continues and many people around the world remain vigilant.”

Public interest in Madeleine’s unsolved case was reignited with recent Netflix documentary  “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann”, but the eight-part series was made without the support of the McCann family. 

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