Rene Angelil passed away just two days before his 74th birthday but he planned his funeral before hand to ease his wife's grief.
Celine Dion's husband and guardian angel, Rene Angelil fought the painful battle against cancer twice in his life and like a true soulmate, Dion stood by his side like a rock. She even took a sabbatical from her demanding and supremely successful career to take care of her husband when he needed her the most.
The couple had been together for a large part of Celine Dion's life, and they helped each other through the high and lows of their careers and life. Angelil who was known to be an extraordinarily supportive partner, wanted to ease Dion's pain through his cancer battle, therefore, he planned his funeral beforehand so she wouldn't have to, claims USA Today.
Celine’s long-time friend and stylist, Annie Horth revealed how even during his very last days of life, Angelil was carrying Dion's responsibility and had her well-being in mind. "René was generous enough to prepare all of this since the last few months with Céline," Now To Love quoted Dion's stylist.
"He didn't know when it would happen, but he really wanted everything to be already prepared." Annie added that because of him, Celine is "going through [this] peacefully and with control."
Angelil passed away on January 14, 2016, at the age of 73 two days shy of his 74th birthday after a long battle with throat cancer. He died at home in Las Vegas, with Dion by his side. In his obituary, it was revealed that the father-of-three wished to be laid to rest at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.
"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," Angelil’s obituary read.
Incidentally, the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal also happened to be the same the church where he and his wife tied the knot back in December 1994.
Dion, in an interview with USA Today, stated that she had taken careful notes when her husband dictated his wishes for his funeral. He wanted it to be in Notre-Dame Basilica, the heart of Catholic Canada.
And she organized it exactly how he had wished. Thousands of fans turned out at the funeral. In fact, according to ET Online, the police force that was protesting against unfair wages at the times by wearing camouflage wore their uniforms out of respect for Angelil and Dion, who are considered royalty.
Life had been more than hard for Dion because her brother Daniel passed away only two days after Angelil's demise. Therefore, a pre-planned funeral did provide her a bit of control in an otherwise unstable scenario.
To say that Angelil and Dion were life-partners would be an understatement because Dion still hasn't gotten over his memories, in a good way, she has allowed his memories to fill her up with love and passion for her life, career, and her children's lives.
In an interview with Andy Cohen, she revealed that she is not looking out for love anymore because she so much in love with her late husband. She said, "I do not date, I do not have a boyfriend. If I do find someone, great. If I don't, great. Because I'm still in love, once you are in love so much... I have lived all my life with René, he is still within me. I see him through the eyes of my children every day. I'm so passionate about life. I'm so lucky to have my three beautiful children."
Celine Dion's devotion really proves that love transcends all boundaries of life and death. Human beings pass on, but love remains eternally.
References:
https://www.etonline.com/news/180389_rene_angelil_planned_his_own_funeral_so_that_wife_celine_dion_wouldn_t_have_to
https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/rene-angelil-planned-his-own-funeral-21962
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/01/22/celine-dion-says-goodbye-beloved-rene-poignant-funeral-he-planned/79187442/
