Memorial Service held for Rene Angelil

Angelil’s wishes were that his funeral service take place at the Basilica, where he Celine Dion in 1994.

Celine Dion lays her head down on her late husband Rene Angelil’s casket before it is taken away at his funeral on Friday (January 22) at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada.

On Friday (22Jan16), Dion will return to the church for his funeral, which will be officiated by the Archbishop of Montreal and will also be streamed online for fans around the world to view, much like the wake on Thursday.

The service ended with a version of Dion’s “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” playing, with the twins again by her side.

The couple’s eldest son, Rene-Charles, delivered a heart-wrenching eulogy at the service at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, saying: “Fifteen years is not a long time for a son to get to know his father”.

Dion then kissed the casket for several seconds, put her hand to her lips and touched the coffin with her hand once more.

Couillard has announced the flag at the legislature will fly at half-mast today. “Je t’aime papa (I love you dad)”.

“They’re obviously grieving”, said another source close to the family, according to Perez Hilton.

A public memorial will also be held February 3 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where Dion has a concert residency.

The people of Quebec see Dion as their ambassador and Angelil was her true love, and now she has lost half of her soul, say some. Rene-Charles wore a dark suit and his mother, Celine, 47, wore a black fur coat and a customary black veil over her face.

As the clock struck 3:20 p.m. Dion’s french-language love song “Trois Heures Vingt” – the first of four hits to play during the ceremony – filled the solemn space.

Angelil died of throat cancer last week at the age of 73 and was given the honour of a national funeral by Quebec’s National Assembly.