Madeleine McCann's family mark 19th anniversary of disappearance with poignant vigil

Madeleine McCann's family has marked the 19th anniversary of her disappearances with a poignant vigil.

Kate and Gerry, accompanied by their twins, held the outdoor gathering in their home vilage of Rothley, Leicestershire.

The couple were pictured in public with Maddie's siblings Sean and Amelie, now aged 21, for the first time.

Prayers were said for Maddie, who disappeared in May 2007 as she slept alone with her younger twin siblings.

Neither Kate McCann, 58, or her husband Gerry, 57, addressed the crowd during the vigil.

Sean, a talented swimmer who hopes to represent Great Britain in the 2028 Olympics, and university student Amelie lit candles for their sister at the war memorial at Cross Green.

And Kate's uncle Brian Kennedy read the poem "The Beacon" by Simon Armitage, the now-poet laureate.

The Rev Rob Gladstone, vicar of Rothley Parish Church, told the crowd: "We gather today to pray for Madeleine and other missing children, to encourage one another and especially Gerry and Kate to keep up our hope and pray for a renewal of strength even after nineteen years."

Michelle Canilleri, a local villager, joined supporters in reading mantras including "never give up", "don't forget about me", and "still missing, still missed".

She later said: "I really feel for the family. They still have no closure and peace after all these years."

She added: "There is a lot of support for them here."

After the service, Kate was seen smiling and chatting to locals, as the couple took to social media to commemorate the event.

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The MCanns wrote: "We remain very grateful for all our support - from friends and family, people we know and those we don't - and from the police and authorities for their continued determination and effort. Thank you.⁣

"For Madeleine, who we love and miss every day, we will never give up. Kate, Gerry and family."

The vigil comes six months after Julie Wandelt, who repeatedly claimed to be Madeleine, was given a jail sentence for harassing the McCanns.

The vicar, addressing the crowd, said the parents had been "been dragged through the courts" by someone falsely caliming to be their daughter.

Wandelt was sentenced to six months at Leicester Crown Court, but has been deported back to her home country having already served the term.

After the conviction, the McCann family said they took "no pleasure" in the result, despite the guilty verdict.

The police still consider the case open, with the Government recently approving a fresh request from the Metropolitan Police for a cash injection to keep the investigation open.

A Home Office spokesman told the Mail: "Ministers have approved a request from the Metropolitan Police Service to provide up to £86,000 for Operation Grange in 2026-27.

"The MPS request was considered, as usual, in line with our Special Grant process which is approved on an annual basis."