Celine Dion
joined fans of René Angélil's as they paid their final respects during a
visitation on Thursday at Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal.
The
47-year-old performer hid her face behind a black veil but it was clear
she was distraught and had tears in her eyes in a video shared by Global News.
Angélil died of throat cancer at the age of 73 on January 14. His funeral will be held on Friday at the same basilica.
Despite her grief, the star told People magazine that she was thankful to those who have kept her family in their thoughts at this tragic time.
Speaking
of those who lined up to pay their respects in particular, Celine told
People: 'The support we've received has been such a blessing.'
Also
at the service was her mother Thérèse, 88, and René's brother André his
sons Patrick and Jean-Pierrem, daughter Anne-Marie Angelil as well as
Celine's eldest René-Charles, aged 14, who is named after his late
father.
A touching moment: The Grammy winner laid her left hand on her late husband as family gathered near
Her biggest supporter: By the performer's side was her eldest son René-Charles, aged 14, who wore a dark suit and tie
So much pain: People magazine shed some light on the state of her mind
this week: 'Her heart is in pieces,' a source told the publication.
'There are no words. She's in extreme grief right now. She's extremely
heartbroken. But she's putting on a brave face'
She was there for him: In the last year 'the singer rarely left her
husband's side' as he used a feeding tube, People magazine reported. 'He
had both good and bad days,' a source said. 'Some days he could get up
and walk around the room, play with the kids. Some days he was too
tired'
Time to grieve: Dion has taken a break from her Las Vegas residency and won't be back on stage until February
His farewell: The music manager lay in an open casket as fans poured into the church to see him
There were flowers everywhere: An aerial view of the ceremony that saw hydrangeas in tall vases and ushers in the distance
Several times the star broke down in tears and used a white handkerchief to help her out.
Dion
was dressed appropriately in a black coat over a black dress with
opaque tights and pumps. She was seen with her veil both on and off. The
beauty's red tresses were pulled back into a ladylike bun.
Hundreds
of people attended the service. It is believed Angélil's adult children
from a previous relationship - Anne-Marie, Patrick and Jean-Pierre -
were also there.
People magazine
shed some light on the state of her mind this week: 'Her heart is in
pieces,' a source told the publication. 'There are no words. She's in
extreme grief right now. She's extremely heartbroken. But she's putting
on a brave face.'
In
the last year 'the singer rarely left her husband's side' as he used a
feeding tube, People added. 'He had both good and bad days,' a source
said. 'Some days he could get up and walk around the room, play with the
kids. Some days he was too tired.'
Lean on me: Celine took her eldest son's arm as they left the memorial
service in the evening accompanied by family members for support
A last goodbye: Angélil's well wishers lined up to pay their final
respects during a visitation and police helped with crowd control.
According to sources, René wanted to have his funeral at Notre-Dame Basilica.
A
message posted to Facebook on Friday read: 'According to his final
wishes, his Funeral will be held at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal,
where 21 years ago, he chose to marry the one who will remain as the
great love of his life, the artist for which he had the most respect,
the woman who gave him light and happiness until his very last breath.'
A
national funeral for Angélil will be held Friday at the same church
beginning at 3 p.m. The flag at the Quebec National Assembly will fly at
half-mast.
The funeral will be officiated by the Most Reverend Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal, according to the Gazette.
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