When Céline Dion sings 'My heart will go on' – the famous line from the song of the same name – she could well be singing about the love she continues to feel for her late husband, eight years after his death.
The Canadian-born singing superstar, who is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and celebrated singers of our times, is best known for her moving power ballads.
Undoubtedly, My Heart Will Go On, from the 1997 movie Titanic, is her best known song. But a close second would be her rendition of The Power of Love, which became a global hit, and put her in the spotlight, where she has remained for more than 30 years.
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René Angélil
During her long career, much has been written about Dion's relationship with her manager, René Angélil, whom she met when she was just 12.
Céline, now 55, had written and recorded her first song, Ce n'était qu'un rêve, with the help of one of her brothers and mother, before another brother, Michel, sent the tape to Angélil, a former musician turned talent manager.
He invited Céline to audition for him, with the star saying she knew she had done a good job when he started to cry.
So certain was Angélil that the young singer would be a star, he mortgaged his house to finance her first album.
Céline has always maintained their relationship only began once she became an adult, with varying reports that she was 18 or 19.
She revealed in her memoir, Céline Dion: My Story, My Dream, that she had long dreamed of being with Angélil, and that wish finally came true the night she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988.
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"I threw myself into his arms," she wrote.
Her mother reportedly was initially opposed the coupling as he had been married and divorced twice before, but she eventually came around.
The couple became engaged in 1991, but continued to keep their relationship secret from the public.
She only announced their relationship to the world on the release of her 1993 album, The Colour of My Love, writing on the album's liner notes, that their "special dream" was "too powerful to keep inside".
They married in a lavish ceremony at the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal on December 17, 1994, with the event broadcast live on Canadian TV.
Five years later, René was diagnosed with throat cancer and the singer took a break from performing to be by his side through treatment.
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When he went into remission, they celebrated by renewing their wedding vows.
That same year, they announced they were expecting their first child. René-Charles was born on January 25, 2001.
After trying for some time to expand their family via IVF, the couple announced they were expecting twins in May 2010.
Nelson and Eddy were born on October 23, 2010.
The following year, she embarked on the start of what would become an eight-year residency at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.
René had a tumour removed from his throat in December 2013, leading to a second cancer diagnosis, which prompted Céline to take a step back from her Las Vegas residency and cancel a planned tour of Asia.
In 2015, the star admitted she was scared of what was to come, but was trying to be strong for her husband and kids.
When he told her he too was scared, and wanted to die in her arms, she told him, "I'll be there, you'll die in my arms."
He died on January 14, 2016, two days before his 74th birthday. They had been married for 22 years.
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That same year, in an interview to mark the 1000th performance in her Las Vegas residency, she revealed she had only ever kissed her husband. "I never kissed another man in my life. So the man of my life was my partner, and we were one," she said.
She also said she was relieved he was no longer suffering.
"Before he left, it was very, very difficult for all of us. For me especially, and my children, to see the man of my life die a little bit more every day. So when he stopped suffering, I said to myself, ''He's okay'. And he deserves not to suffer."
She marked the five-year anniversary of his death with a post on Instagram that included a close-up photo of their two hands, entwined.
In 2021, she said she still felt her husband's presence in her daily life. That same year, she said she was not thinking about another relationship.
The following year, in a post marking the sixth anniversary of his death, she wrote, "I would be lying if I said I'm fine, I think of you at least a hundred times, cause in the echo of my voice I hear your words just like you're there… I miss you – Céline xx…"
René-Charles
René-Charles Angélil was born on January 25, 2001. He was named after his father, who was 59 when he was born, while Céline was 32.
His birth came after his parents underwent IVF treatment, following his father's first battle with cancer.
His mother has often spoken about her devotion to her eldest son, recalling that she breastfed him for a year and would spend the time marvelling at everything about him.
She accepted a Las Vegas residency from March 2003 to December 2007 so she could take a break from touring and devote herself to motherhood during the day, saying at the time, "I am a full-time mum. That's my priority. Then I go and sing a few songs at night."
After dabbling with sports, including hockey, while growing up, he decided to pursue a music career, releasing two songs in 2018 on SoundCloud, which went to No. 1 and 2 on the platform's R&B & Soul New & Hot chart.
In 2021, he released an EP, which won his mother's praise.
In 2022, she marked his 21st birthday with a heartfelt post on Instagram that included a throwback photo of herself and René gazing lovingly at their son, soon after his birth.
"René-Charles, 21 years of dreams have already passed," she wrote. "We gave you life… Thank you very much for giving us the wonderful gift of becoming your parents. Since that day, I've been thriving as I watch you grow. Your intelligence, your generosity, your courage, and your great sensitivity never cease to move me. We guided you from our dreams, by holding your hand. Keep exploring and above all, listen to your heart, knowing that you are always carried by our love, so that now your own dreams can come true.
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"Happy Birthday René-Charles! Have fun my darling… We adore you! T.V.E.C. - Dad, Mom, Nelson and Eddy xx"
René-Charles has been a tower of strength to his mother, supporting her as she grapples with a stiff person syndrome diagnosis, and even accompanying her on stage at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
Nelson and Eddy
After a reported six rounds of fertility treatment and a miscarriage, twins Eddy and Nelson were born on October 23, 2010.
Céline has been quoted as saying they had very distinctively different personalities even as infants.
Sadly, their father lost his long battle with cancer when they were just five, with his mother reportedly waiting several days to break the news to the twins.
When she did, she threw a party and referenced the movie Up, telling her sons their father had floated away on balloons.
When she returned to touring in 2019, she decided to leave her twins and older son at home so they could keep their routine, instead flying back and forth to be with them.
She marked their 10th birthday in 2020 with a heartfelt post on Instagram.
More recently, she shared a photo of herself surrounded by her three sons on Instagram to mark Mothers' Day in 2022.
When she announced on Instagram in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, she credited her three "precious children" for "supporting me and giving me hope."
She gave another rare glimpse of her youngest sons in November 2023 when she shared photos of herself with all her boys at a hockey game in Las Vegas, where they still live.
The singer shared a rare update on her condition on March 15, 2024 in honour of International Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day.
"As many of you know, in the fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)," the star wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.
"Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible.
"I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!"
"I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!"
She also took the opportunity to share a picture of her sons, with René-Charles now 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, now 13.
They surrounded her as they all posed on a tri-level podium at the at the K1 Speed go-kart race track in Las Vegas.
