It's been 18 years since the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and her family have been doing their utmost to carry on with life, despite the heartrending loss and uncertainty. Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have tirelessly continued their search for their daughter, who would now be 21, while her siblings have made a touching promise to their elder sister. Madeleine was just three when she vanished on Thursday, May 3 2007, after her parents left her sleeping in the bedroom with her two-year-old twin siblings during a family holiday in Portugal. The parents regularly returned to the flat to check on their three children, but at around 10pm Kate went to their bedroom to find that Madeleine had disappeared, while her brother and sister were sleeping nearby. The police were immediately alerted, sparking a worldwide search for the toddler, who has still not been found. Madeleine's twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, will appear at Leicester Crown Court for the trial of Julie Wandelt, who is accused of stalking the McCann family after she claimed to be Madeleine McCann. During the almost two decade-long search, Sean and Amelie, who mark their sister's birthday every single year with their parents, have attempted to carry on with their lives. Their mum, Kate, previously shared: "They have their own friends and they keep busy and they're really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five. "As a family 98 per cent of the time we're busy. I don't know if that's a conscious thing but it helps. The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all." Here, we've taken a closer look at where Madeleine's siblings are today... Madeleine's brother Sean has become a talented swimmer, with hopes of competing for Team GB at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Earlier this year, he grabbed attention after securing a gold medal at a Mediterranean open water swimming competition. Sean's commitment to the sport stretches back almost 10 years, featuring early morning training sessions since the age of 11 and three weekly gym visits to enhance his abilities. His ambitions are reportedly focused on competing for Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games . Writing about his own experience on a local website, Sean described his progression from joining City of Leicester Swimming Club to earning "multiple county titles" and achieving champion status both regionally and nationally in his age category. He wrote: "At the age of 10, I was selected to swim at 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 4am multiple mornings each week to train." Sean flew the flag for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, reaching the finals of both the 400 and 1500m Freestyle. He's also known as a keen Open Water swimmer, being part of Scotland's National Open Water Development Squad. Sean has a string of other impressive achievements, juggling sporting excellence with academic pursuits as he studies for a degree in chemical engineering at university. Meanwhile, his twin sister Amelie has her own sporting triumphs, having taken part in numerous cross-country and triathlon events while studying at a university in the north of England. Their great-uncle, Brian Kennedy, told the Daily Mail that their parents, Kate and Gerry, are overjoyed with Sean and Amelie's accomplishments. However, their sister's absence has inevitably cast a dark cloud over her and her brother's lives. In an interview with The Sun, Kate revealed that Sean and Amelie have "grown up essentially without Madeleine but knowing their sister is missing and they want her back". When Kate published her book 'Madeleine' in 2012, she disclosed that the twins had given her the strength to continue. Her younger son Sean had vowed, "When you're old, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine." Speaking to the Mirror , she also revealed: "I was chatting to Amelie and she said, 'Mummy's sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here.'". On the heartrending 16th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance, Amelie joined her parents at a vigil for missing children. Amelie lit a candle in her memory and later said: "It's nice that everyone is here together but it's a sad occasion." Amelie, accompanied by her friend Georgina, joined in repeating mantras read out by individual people in the 70-strong crowd, including "Never, never give up", "leave no stone unturned", "don't forget about me", and "still missing, still missed." In her book, their mum, Kate, described how the family continue to mark Madeleine's birthday by holding sweet tea parties, after which they fill her room with gifts they still hope she'll one day unwrap. Kate wrote: "Monday, May 12, 2008, was Madeleine's fifth birthday. 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. There are gifts people have sent – from teddy bears to rosary beads – and photographs and pictures Sean and Amelie have drawn for her pinned on the walls." She continued: "She also has a keepsake box in which the twins leave little things for her: the last sweet in their packet, a new drawing, sometimes just a leaf that has taken their fancy. Everyone sits in there from time to time to feel close to her. The children sometimes borrow toys to play with for a while but they always return them for Madeleine." In 2023, on missing Madeleine's 20th birthday party, Kate and Gerry took to the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page with the following determined message: "Happy birthday Madeleine. Still very much missed. Still looking. For as long as it takes."
Madeleine McCann's siblings' lives now from Olympic swimmer to birthday ritual
It's been 18 years since the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and her family have been doing their utmost to carry on with life, despite the heartrending loss and uncertainty. Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have tirelessly continued their search for their daughter, who would now be 21, while her siblings have made a touching promise to their elder sister. Madeleine was just three when she vanished on Thursday, May 3 2007, after her parents left her sleeping in the bedroom with her two-year-old twin siblings during a family holiday in Portugal. The parents regularly returned to the flat to check on their three children, but at around 10pm Kate went to their bedroom to find that Madeleine had disappeared, while her brother and sister were sleeping nearby. The police were immediately alerted, sparking a worldwide search for the toddler, who has still not been found. Madeleine's twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, will appear at Leicester Crown Court for the trial of Julie Wandelt, who is accused of stalking the McCann family after she claimed to be Madeleine McCann. During the almost two decade-long search, Sean and Amelie, who mark their sister's birthday every single year with their parents, have attempted to carry on with their lives. Their mum, Kate, previously shared: "They have their own friends and they keep busy and they're really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five. "As a family 98 per cent of the time we're busy. I don't know if that's a conscious thing but it helps. The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all." Here, we've taken a closer look at where Madeleine's siblings are today... Madeleine's brother Sean has become a talented swimmer, with hopes of competing for Team GB at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Earlier this year, he grabbed attention after securing a gold medal at a Mediterranean open water swimming competition. Sean's commitment to the sport stretches back almost 10 years, featuring early morning training sessions since the age of 11 and three weekly gym visits to enhance his abilities. His ambitions are reportedly focused on competing for Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games . Writing about his own experience on a local website, Sean described his progression from joining City of Leicester Swimming Club to earning "multiple county titles" and achieving champion status both regionally and nationally in his age category. He wrote: "At the age of 10, I was selected to swim at 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 4am multiple mornings each week to train." Sean flew the flag for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, reaching the finals of both the 400 and 1500m Freestyle. He's also known as a keen Open Water swimmer, being part of Scotland's National Open Water Development Squad. Sean has a string of other impressive achievements, juggling sporting excellence with academic pursuits as he studies for a degree in chemical engineering at university. Meanwhile, his twin sister Amelie has her own sporting triumphs, having taken part in numerous cross-country and triathlon events while studying at a university in the north of England. Their great-uncle, Brian Kennedy, told the Daily Mail that their parents, Kate and Gerry, are overjoyed with Sean and Amelie's accomplishments. However, their sister's absence has inevitably cast a dark cloud over her and her brother's lives. In an interview with The Sun, Kate revealed that Sean and Amelie have "grown up essentially without Madeleine but knowing their sister is missing and they want her back". When Kate published her book 'Madeleine' in 2012, she disclosed that the twins had given her the strength to continue. Her younger son Sean had vowed, "When you're old, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine." Speaking to the Mirror , she also revealed: "I was chatting to Amelie and she said, 'Mummy's sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here.'". On the heartrending 16th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance, Amelie joined her parents at a vigil for missing children. Amelie lit a candle in her memory and later said: "It's nice that everyone is here together but it's a sad occasion." Amelie, accompanied by her friend Georgina, joined in repeating mantras read out by individual people in the 70-strong crowd, including "Never, never give up", "leave no stone unturned", "don't forget about me", and "still missing, still missed." In her book, their mum, Kate, described how the family continue to mark Madeleine's birthday by holding sweet tea parties, after which they fill her room with gifts they still hope she'll one day unwrap. Kate wrote: "Monday, May 12, 2008, was Madeleine's fifth birthday. 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. There are gifts people have sent – from teddy bears to rosary beads – and photographs and pictures Sean and Amelie have drawn for her pinned on the walls." She continued: "She also has a keepsake box in which the twins leave little things for her: the last sweet in their packet, a new drawing, sometimes just a leaf that has taken their fancy. Everyone sits in there from time to time to feel close to her. The children sometimes borrow toys to play with for a while but they always return them for Madeleine." In 2023, on missing Madeleine's 20th birthday party, Kate and Gerry took to the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page with the following determined message: "Happy birthday Madeleine. Still very much missed. Still looking. For as long as it takes."
