London - Madeleine McCann’s grandmother has died with suspected coronavirus, it was revealed on Thursday night.
Former pub landlady Eileen never gave up hope she would one day be found alive.
The 80-year-old, Gerry’s mother, died last month from a suspected coronavirus-related illness.
In the first years after Madeleine’s disappearance she was one of the figureheads for the search as she supported her son and his wife Kate.
"As long as they don’t find a body, I’ll never give up hope. When we do finally get her home, she’ll have so much love and hugs from all of us," she said at the time.
It is not known if Eileen ever heard the name Christian Brueckner, the German paedophile now suspected of having snatched Madeleine at the resort in Portugal. Kate and Gerry were kept in the loop by German and British police but it is not known what level of information they passed on to their family.
It is understood there was a small, socially distanced funeral in St Conval’s, East Renfrewshire, near where Eileen lived.
A spokesman for the McCanns said: "The family simply do not wish to discuss what is an entirely private family matter."
On Thursday night a source close to the McCanns said: "Kate and Gerry were kept fully informed about the new appeal [for information]. But they tend to keep the more specific details from their family.
"At best, she may have known – if she knew anything – that a fresh appeal was coming."