Kate and Gerry wrote: “Happy 21st Birthday Madeleine. Still missing. Still missed. Still looking.”

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The message was shared on the official Find Maddie Campaign Facebook page.

It was accompanied by one of the last photographs taken of the tot as a three-year-old.

Madeleine was pictured beaming in a white sun hat and pink dress, with the word “Hope.”

The website is viewed by thousands of supporters across the world.

Earlier this month Kate and Gerry shared a heartbreaking update on the 17th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance.

The couple said their daughter’s “absence still aches” in a touching social media post.

It 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.

“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.”

The prime suspect in the case is 47-year-old German national and convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner.

He is currently serving a prison sentence for raping a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is suspected of further attacks in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Brueckner is currently appearing in a German court accused of a string of rapes and indecent exposure allegations uncovered during the investigation into Maddie.

He denies the claims against him and the trial continues.

When did Madeleine McCann disappear?

The tot disappeared on May 3, 2007, when her family were on holiday in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, Portugal.

Parents Gerry and Kate left their three children – including toddler twins Sean and Amelie – asleep in their apartment while they ate at a tapas bar – 120 metres away.

When Kate returned to check on the kids at around 10pm that evening, she discovered that Madeleine was not in her bed and was missing.

In September of that year, Gerry and Kate, both doctors, were sensationally named as “arguidos” by Portuguese police.

The following summer the McCanns were cleared by investigators in Portugal who declared they had exhausted all avenues in the case.

In March 2024, it was confirmed that British detectives looking for Maddie would receive a further £100,000 funding to help their investigation — on top of the £13million already provided by the government since 2011.

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