Madeleine or Maddie ?

[AnneGuedes]

In a Paris Match interview on the 4th of September 2007 :
Mrs McCann : Peut-être parce qu’ils grandissent, ils s’expriment mieux. Quand ils voient le chat de Madeleine, ils disent “Maddie”• Quand ils voient son sac, ils disent “Maddie”.
(this is a translation and I'm retranslating) May be because (the twins) grow up, they express themselves better. When they see Madeleine's cat (CC or Mog ? ), they say "Maddie". When they see her bag, they say "Maddie".
Mr McCann. Parfois ils disent “we love Madeleine”, et nous on répond “we love Madeleine”. Au pire, quand ils demanderont où elle est, nous dirons qu’elle a disparu ou qu’elle est perdue. C’est l’idée que nous devrons leur suggérer. On le fera quand ils seront prêts. Par exemple, ils ne comprennent pas quand ils voient Madeleine à la télévision. D’ailleurs nous ne l’allumons plus.
Sometimes they say "we love Madeleine" and we answer "we love Madeleine". At worst, when they ask where she is, we'll say she has disappeared or that she's lost. This is the idea that we'll have to suggest them. We'll do it when they're ready. For example, they don't understand when they see Madeleine on TV. Besides we don't switch it on.
Once I mentioned this case to a British friend of mine and she made me repeat when I said "Madeleine", then she said "she's known here as Maddie, nobody calls her Madeleine".

[AnneGuedes]

http://www.parismatch.com/Actu/International/Maddie-Quand-Match-rencontrait-ses-parents-Kate-et-Gerry-161656

[Eleanor]

I have always referred to her as Madeleine. but then I have never liked derivatives and avoid them whenever possible.
But it is possible that the twins might have had some difficulty with her name, and other more ignorant people might have shortened it.
I believe that her mother and father preferred, and still do prefer her correct name.

[Lace]

Kate once said that Madeleine liked to be called Madeleine 'My name is Madeleine with three E's'.  Obviously something the parents had taught her,  probably when helping her learn how to spell her name.

Remember this is a child who was not yet four years old.


I find all this they called her Madeleine then Maddie,   ridiculous.   The McCanns always refer to her as Madeleine that is her name.    Other's shorten it.    So what.

[AnneGuedes]

Which newspaper launched "Our Maddie" ?

[ferryman]

Which newspaper launched "Our Maddie" ?

The Sun, so far as I can gauge ...

[faithlilly]

I have always referred to her as Madeleine. but then I have never liked derivatives and avoid them whenever possible.
But it is possible that the twins might have had some difficulty with her name, and other more ignorant people might have shortened it.
I believe that her mother and father preferred, and still do prefer her correct name.

Yet Gerry in a Friends Reunited post, since deleted, called her Maddie and one of the nannies in her statement said that was how Madeleine introduced herself.

[ferryman]

since deleted

Isn't that convenient

 

[Lace]

So what?

The general public came to know her as Maddie or Maddy.     Gerry probably called her Maddy to interact with the general public.

If Madeleine introduced herself as Maddy could be people outside called her that.    It still doesn't mean that she didn't like to be known as Madeleine.

Someone I know is called Joseph everyone outside the family call him Joey,   ask him his name he says 'Joseph' but everyone calls me Joey.

[DCI]

Does it matter? Or is it being used as another stick, to beat the McCann's with?

My name is shortened, but they can call me what they like, as long as its not late for me dinner

[faithlilly]

Does it matter? Or is it being used as another stick, to beat the McCann's with?

My name is shortened, but they can call me what they like, as long as its not late for me dinner

Of course it matters. It goes to the heart of the McCanns honesty.

[ferryman]

I think it does matter.

Personally, I have no objection per se to the diminutive "Maddie" and if I knew someone of that name who was, herself, comfortable with that diminutive, I'd probably use it (I don't, as it happens).

But Kate and Gerry have always made plain that they prefer Madeleine, and would prefer others to address her that way, too.

I think it's only respectful to follow their wishes.

And Faith has me in stitches again ...

 

[Eleanor]

Of course it matters. It goes to the heart of the McCanns honesty.

ORLY?

[faithlilly]

I think it does matter.

Personally, I have no objection per se to the diminutive "Maddie" and if I knew someone of that name who was, herself, comfortable with that diminutive, I'd probably use it (I don't, as it happens).

But Kate and Gerry have always made plain that they prefer Madeleine, and would prefer others to address her that way, too.

I think it's only respectful to follow their wishes.

And Faith has me in stitches again ...

 

Then why did Gerry use Maddie when referring to her ? And why did Kate say Madeleine didn't like being called it when the nanny at the crèche said that's exactly how she introduced herself ?

[ferryman]

Then why did Gerry use Maddie when referring to her ?

Where's the evidence that he did?