madonnaMadonna reportedly spent an hour with the little girl she’d hoped to adopt before leaving Malawi over the weekend - leaving both upset by the separation.

Madonna had travelled to the African country the previous weekend for court hearings related to her request to adopt four year old Mercy James - but in a surprise ruling on Friday, her request was rejected on the grounds that she did not meet the country’s residency requirement for adoption.

Madonna first met the little girl when she visited orphanages in the country before adopting son David in late 2006 and took David, as well as older children Rocco and Lourdes, to meet the little girl this week.

A source at the orphanage told the Sun that Madonna returned alone to see Mercy on Saturday morning: “Madonna was up at dawn cradling Mercy, gently soothing her and making her laugh.

“You could see how upset she was when she had to say goodbye. She could barely wrench herself away.

“It’s devastating for Mercy [too]. She had bonded with her new family and [after Madonna left] was calling for her, saying, ‘Where is my Mummy?’

“She couldn’t understand where Lourdes, David and Rocco had gone - she thought they were playing hide and seek. It broke my heart to see her crying out for David as they’d become inseparable.

“Madonna said she will do whatever it takes to get her back.”

Madonna and her three children arrived at Luton airport yesterday, where they were met at the plane by the boys’ father Guy Ritchie. Guy, David & Rocco then boarded a helicopter to travel to Guy’s estate in Wiltshire, with Madonna & Lourdes heading to London for this week’s Passover celebrations.