On another thread it was mentioned that Madeleine spending Christmas alone with her grandmother may have been the catalyst for this question from the PJ.
41 --- Asked whether or not it is true that in England she was thinking to deliver MADELEINE into the custody [guardianship] of a family member, she did not respond.
This assumption seems to have come from an interview in the Daily Record with Madeleine’s Scottish grandmother in which she said
“When she was two, Madeleine spent Christmas at my house and it was lovely.
"The next year, the family came up for New Year but on Christmas Day Madeleine called and said she'd got a kitchen from Santa. She was very excited and said 'I'm going to make some tea'."
For me it’s obvious that Mrs McCann only mentioned Madeleine because that’s who she was specifically asked about. There is nothing to suggest that Madeleine’s parents and siblings weren’t there too.
That being said there is no way that this could have possibly been the catalyst for question 41.
In my opinion there was a specific reason for questions such as these;
39. Are the twins difficult to get to sleep? Are they restless and does that cause you uneasiness?
40. Is it true that sometimes you despaired with your children’s behaviour and that left you feeling very uneasy?
41. Is it true that in England you even considered handing over Madeleine’s custody to a relative?
The PJ took Kate's diaries, but weren't allowed to enter them as evidence. According to rumour, however, the diaries contained information which suggested that she found life difficult with three small children.
Portuguese newspapers are claiming to have seen Kate McCann's diary and have published what they say are extracts.
Kate is alleged to have moaned about her missing daughter in her diary and the lack of help she gets from her husband with domestic chores and bringing up their three kids.
Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manha headlined its front page today: "Kate insults her children in her diary." It claimed on an inside page: "She complains frequently that her children are 'hysterical' and speaks of Madeleine as a child whose excess activity exhausts her.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-481645/McCanns-facing-fresh-slurs-Portuguese-press-Kates-diaries.htmlIf Kate McCann wrote those things in her diary then they could have triggered those particular questions.