What happened to Madeleine’s family?

It’s been over 18 years since Madeleine McCann, the eldest daughter of Kate and Gerry McCann, went missing from their holiday apartment in Praia de Luz, Portugal, while the couple were dining nearby with friends.

It wasn’t just Madeleine who was thrown into the spotlight as there was plenty of attention on her twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, as the international search for Madeleine captured the public’s attention for years. The family have been at the centre of several documentaries about the missing girl.

Sean and Amelie now

Sean and Amelie are now aged 19, but the family have made it clear that they wish to remain private. After Amelie was photographed at a vigil for Madeleine in May 2023, the couple issued a rare statement requesting that the press leave the twins alone.

It read: “I am writing this message to the media in general. I expect it may not appear in print or on-line but hope that it will spark a conscience in some. As we do every year, we gathered in our village yesterday evening to mark the anniversary of our daughter Madeleine’s abduction. It was a special event and lovely to sense the hope and warmth of those who were there.

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Kate McCann carries one of her twins, Amelie

“I was dismayed, however, that this sadly provided an opportunity for a local journalist to exploit the presence of our younger daughter who does not wish to be photographed or interviewed and was made to feel uncomfortable, especially at such a special moment of hope for Madeleine.

Our son and daughter turned eighteen this year – but I truly hope this will not make them targets for those journalists looking to make financial gain. “Please can I appeal to you that you respect our children’s privacy and let them live their lives.”

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Kate and Gerry have kept their other children out of the spotlight

Both Sean and Amelie have lived private lives, however, Sean might soon be stepping more into the public eye in the coming years. Sean, 20, is a champion freestyle swimmer, having swum competitively since the age of eight. He is set to represent Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and it’s been reported that he could be selected for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Speaking about his love of swimming, Sean once wrote: “At the age of ten, I was selected to swim at the City of Leicester, and I have since gone on to win multiple county titles, as well as becoming regional and national champion in my age group. In order to have achieved this, I have had to remain extremely dedicated, getting up at 4 am multiple mornings each week to train.”

Updates on Madeleine

Kate and Gerry share yearly updates on the Find Madeleine website about their tireless search for their daughter.

On the 17th anniversary of her disappearance, the pair stated that they lived “relatively normal and enjoyable” lives in a statement that read: “It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.

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Kate and Gerry McCann, wearing t-shirts printed with a photo of their missing daughter Madeleine

“Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that. Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children.”

Kate and Gerry live in Leicestershire, England, with Kate working in anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology while Gerry worked as a cardiologist. He has since gone on to work as a research professor at the University of Leicester, while Kate quit her job.

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Madeleine McCann went missing when she was three

Writing in her biography, she said: “We were a perfectly ordinary family. Boring, even. Since settling down to bring up our longed-for babies, Gerry and I had become such strangers to the fast lane that we were often the butt of good-natured teasing from our friends.”

Speaking about her continuing feelings of loss, she said: “I think every kind of event that we do, whether it be a birthday or a family occasion or even an achievement or something, that is kind of when you really feel her absence.”