How Madeleine McCann's disappearance affected Kate and Gerry's marriage behind closed doors

Madeleine McCann's disappearance in May 2007 shocked the world, but the two people who were most affected were her parents Gerry and Kate, both 55.

The couple had been holidaying in Praia da Luz, Portugal with friends and decided to eat at the hotel's tapas restaurant, leaving their children – including Madeleine, almost four, and two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie – asleep in their room 500 metres away.

Despite checking on them every 30 minutes, Kate found that Maddie had gone missing around 10pm and a police investigation was launched, with even the parents coming under suspicion. The case has hit the headlines for years since then, especially over the last few months after Polish woman Julia Wendell requested a DNA test over suspicions she is the missing child.

Although the results found she is not Maddie, Kate and Gerry will be supporting each other as the case is once again in the spotlight. But are they still together? The couple have previously opened up about how her disappearance has impacted their marriage…

When did Kate and Gerry McCann get married?

Kate and Gerry met in Glasgow in 1993 while they were both working as junior doctors. They got married in Liverpool in 1998 and moved to Leicestershire two years later, with Gerry working as a cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital while Kate became a GP at Latham House Medical Practice.

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They welcomed Madeleine in 2003 after going through IVF treatment, followed by Sean and Amelie in 2005.

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Are Kate and Gerry McCann still together?

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Despite admitting to relationship struggles in the years following Maddie's disappearance, Kate and Gerry have remained married. 

While Gerry describes the days that followed the incident as "all black, with maybe tiny points of light," Kate has gone into more depth about their intimacy issues.

In her 2012 autobiography, Madeleine: Our Daughter's Disappearance and the Continuing Search for Her, Kate explained that she was "tortured" by the thought their daughter could have been sexually abused.

"Tortured as I was by these images, it's not surprising that even the thought of sex repulsed me," Kate wrote. "I worried about Gerry and me. I worried that if I didn't get our sex life on track our whole relationship would break down."

However, she praised Gerry's support and strength, stating: "He would put his arm around me, reassuring me and telling me that he loved me."

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While the couple were criticised for their lack of emotion during TV interviews – something their PR team encouraged – Kate said she leaned on Gerry behind closed doors.

"He knows or fears that if he allows himself to be sucked into my despair, he might be brought crashing down, too," she added.

"I look back now and wonder how on earth Gerry and I have made it this far. If it weren't for the solid relationship between us, I'm not sure we would have done.

"No relationship, however strong, can emerge unscathed from what is probably the most painful and terrifying ordeal any parent could suffer. It would be a lie to claim that everything has been plain sailing," she candidly said in her book.

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