Madonna celebrates 68th birthday with trip to Corfu

Madonna celebrated her 68th birthday by reportedly flying her family and friends out to Corfu for a "poignant" pilgrimage.

The pop superstar marked the milestone on Sunday (16.08.26) and a report suggests she chartered a private jet to take her loved ones out to the Greek island and then hired a helicopter for a trip to the religious site of the monasteries of Meteora.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Every year Madge goes all out for her birthday, and this year was no different. In the past, she’s opted for mini-breaks to Italy, but this time she decided on Corfu.

"Of course, the week-long plans included private jets, yachts, and a helicopter trip, but Madonna also spent time really focusing on spirituality and her sense of self."

The insider added: "She took a private trip to the Eastern Orthodox monasteries of Meteora, where she spent hours learning about the religious sites.

"Madonna has always been spiritual but after she fell ill three years ago, she reaffirmed her faith. It was a beautiful trip for her and it felt very poignant."

The publication reports Madonna rented a villa in the north of the island and took the group - which included her boyfriend Akeem Morris and her son Rocco Ritchie - out on a yacht for a day of sailing.

The singer is also said to have hosted an outdoor dinner in the grounds of the villa complete with traditional Greek food and music provided by a local band.

The trip comes three years after Madonna fell seriously ill with a bacterial infection and was placed in a medically induced coma.

She made a full recovery but she recently revealed she still sleeps with a purple stuffed octopus named Octavia which was given to her by her sister after her hospitalisation and was named after one of the nurses who looked after her.

In a video for Vogue magazine, Madonna shared: "This is my do-do. Her name is Octavia. I sleep with her every night. A couple of years ago I was really sick in the hospital. I was in a coma and this beautiful nurse that was taking care of me, her name was Olivia."

The chart-topping star - who has three sisters, Paula, 66, Melanie, 64, and Jennifer, 58 - said of the nurse: "She was screaming at me every day, telling me I needed to get up, I needed to get out of the ICU, and she really gave me a lot of courage and hope.

"When I got out of the hospital and came home, my sister gave me this octopus. I looked at her and all I could think about was my nurse who took care of me."