‘We miss Madeleine dearly. Christmas will never be the same without her’: Kate and Gerry McCann thank supporters and say they will never give up hope in the search for their daughter 12 years after she vanished
- Mr and Mrs McCann thanked supporters for ‘kind and continuing good wishes’
- Couple will spend a quiet Christmas with 13-year-old twins Sean and Amelie
- Still have hope for continuing investigation into daughter’s disappearance
Kate and Gerry McCann have said they will never give up hope in the search for Madeleine and say Christmas – their 12th since she went missing – will never ‘be the same without her’.
In a brief but poignant festive message posted today, Mr and Mrs McCann thanked all their supporters for their ‘kind and continuing good wishes’ and said they ‘dearly miss’ Madeleine.
The couple, who will spend a quiet Christmas with 13-year-old twins Sean and Amelie, added in a posting on the Find Madeleine website: ‘The investigation is ongoing and our hope remains.’
In a brief but poignant festive message posted today, Mr and Mrs McCann thanked all their supporters for their ‘kind and continuing good wishes’ and said they ‘dearly miss’ Madeleine
Former GP Kate and heart doctor Gerry, both 50, began the message by addressing their supporters: ‘We couldn’t let a Christmas go by without passing on a warm thank you to all our supporters for the kind and continuing good wishes, especially at this very busy time of year.
‘We miss Madeleine dearly. Christmas will never be the same without her, but we will continue to make the best of what we have.
‘The investigation is ongoing and our hope remains. May 2019 be a peaceful and positive one for us all.’
Next to an image of a sparkling silver tree the couple from Rothley, Leicestershire, signed off: ‘Thank you. Kate & Gerry.’
Prayers will be said for Madeleine during the Christmas Day church service in the McCann’s village. File photo
Three-year-old Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 while her parents were dining in a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.
The couple try to keep the festive season as fun and normal as possible for the sake of their twins.
But Mrs McCann said the occasion is always ‘tinged with pain and longing’ preciously saying: ‘Madeleine should be here and we should be celebrating with her.
‘We have not lost hope that we may get to celebrate another Christmas with her.’
Prayers will be said for Madeleine during the Christmas Day church service in their village whilst a candle in memory of the youngster burns around the clock in the square beside the war memorial.
Scotland Yard detectives hunting for the youngster have been granted funding until the end of March next year to continue their search.
Mrs McCann has told in the past how she still buys Christmas gifts for Madeleine and places then in her pretty pink room which has remained untouched since she vanished more than ten and a half years ago.
It has become a shrine to with photos and drawings as well as festive offerings and birthday parcels.
The couple cling onto a glimmer of hope that their eldest child – who would now be aged 15 – could one day return home.
Former GP Kate and heart doctor Gerry, both 50, began the message by addressing their supporters: ‘We couldn’t let a Christmas go by without passing on a warm thank you.’ The couple are pictured in Loughborough on April 28, 2017
The Metropolitan Police are chasing up two vital lines of inquiry and have told Maddie’s parents Kate and Gerry they are ‘hopeful of getting a result.’
Officers recently told the couple: ‘We’re hopeful we can get a result.’
The operation Grange team, who had been thought to be focusing on just one, revealed during a meeting they had ‘two specific and active’ lines of inquiry.
The McCanns are ‘greatly encouraged’ that cops – who so far have been handed £11.75 million of taxpayers’ money for the high-profile search – could finally be closing in on their daughter’s alleged kidnapper.