Celine Dion personally greeted mourners at her husband’s wake on Thursday

The 47-year-old singer struggled to hold back her tears as she stood by René Angélil’s open casket inside the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada.

Wearing a black gown and net veil, Celine was comforted by her mother Thérèse and her eldest son Rene-Charles, 14, as she watched hundreds of relatives, politicians and fans pay their last respects to René.

She was seen dabbing her eyes at points with a tissue as the wake proved somewhat overwhelming.

At one point, when she was left alone with the casket, Celine was seen tenderly placing her hands on her spouse’s body as she bid him goodbye.

Mourners at the wake were greeted by a huge portrait of René on a large screen outside the cathedral.

René was laid to rest in a state funeral at the venue on Friday (22.01.16), and the service was streamed live worldwide.

After René’s death, following a lengthy battle with throat cancer, Celine took to her Facebook page to post a touching tribute to her husband and manager.

She wrote: “He will be remembered as a gentle man, generous and kind, an unprecedented visionary, a modern Pygmalion, a Renaissance man.

“All who had the privilege of knowing him and of working closely with him, whether personally or professionally, salute a leader and a man of great intelligence and wisdom."

The couple's son René-Charles paid a moving tribute to his father at his funeral.

The 14-year-old took to the podium at the Notre-Dame Basilica in front of his friends and family to give his eulogy.

As his mother looked on, René-Charles promised his father that he would impart the knowledge he had learned from him onto his younger siblings, five-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson.

He said: “Fifteen years is not a long time for a son to get to know his father. And a lot of other wonderful food, bonding more and more as time went by. You left me now with enough good memories of you to share with my younger brothers.

“As they grow older without you being around, I'll make sure to pass on what I've learned from you. You are a tough act to follow but with our help everything is going to be fine. Dad, I promise you here that we're all going to live up to your standards."

René-Charles linked arms with his grandmother Thérèse as they headed into the cathedral, while Celine held hands with Eddy and Nelson.

The 47-year-old singer wore a black dress with tights and heels, along with a veil over her face.

She joined her family on the front row at the service, just yards away from where René lay in an open casket.

Celine also joined her family in singing for her late brother yesterday (23.01.16).

The 'My Heart Will Go On' hitmaker joined her relatives at the Salon Rajotte Charles funeral home in Repetingy, near Montreal.

According to Le Journal de Montreal, Celine and her family sang together in honour of 59-year-old singer Daniel, who died of cancer on January 16.

Dozens of people gathered outside the funeral home to offer their condolences and Celine - who has sons Rene-Charles, 15, and five-year-old Nelson and Eddy with her late husband - rolled down the window of her car to thank them as she left.

According to CTV News, Daniel's funeral will take place on Monday (25.01.16) at the Saints-Simon-et-Jude Church in Charlemagne.

The Dion family released a statement last week announcing Daniel's death.

They said: "His last days were in the wonderful care of the doctors and personnel at Maison Adhémar-Dion, a palliative care centre in Terreboone Québec...Battling cancer for a few years, it's in the uttermost discretion and surrounded by his family that Daniel Dion, 59, died on 16 January. He was the eighth child of Thérèse and Adhémar Dion, brother of Celine."