Céline Dion gathered the strength to speak at her late husband René Angélil’s celebration of life ceremony Wednesday at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Although the “Power of Love” songstress originally had no plans to talk or perform during the event, Dion changed her mind at the last minute.
“This is my home away from home,” a tearful Dion said. “At the same time I’m supposed to feel extremely comfortable being home and right now I’m not sure how comfortable I feel.” She also made a point to thank those who had paid tribute to Angélil, saying, “I feel his love in this room. I feel his strength and his warmth being reflected in all of you. René always surrounded me with the best people who believed in us and always worked so hard on our behalf.”
Before leaving the stage, the “Power of Love” singer said, “On behalf of my family, thank you again for being here with us this evening for this beautiful tribute to mon amour. René I love you, so much. Merci. Good night.”
Gary Selesner, the President of Caesars Palace, began the night by opening up about the singer’s late husband.
“I’d like to extend my heartfelt appreciate to Céline and her family to allow us to have this time together to honor and remember René,” he told the crowd.
“René inspired, nourished, inspired and loved this very special corner for Caesar’s Palace.”
Dion’s husband passed away Jan. 14, 2016, after a long battle with throat cancer. The “My Heart Will Go On” singer honored her late husband with a funeral where her son, René-Charles, delivered a heartfelt speech to attendees.
“Fifteen years is not a long time for a son to get to know his father,” he told the crowd. “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.”
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He added, “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.”
Dion also released an emotional letter on her website thanking everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
“My family and I are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support from so many people who have touched our lives during these past few days,” read the letter. “We have felt your love for René, and your prayers and compassion have helped us during this most difficult time… more than you’ll ever know. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
READ: Celine Dion mourns brother Daniel
Tragically, Dion’s brother Daniel died from cancer only two days after her husband. Mariah Carey, who also has a residency at The Colosseum, told E! News’ Melanie Bromley that she couldn’t believe what had happened to her Las Vegas colleague.
“I feel so bad for all that Celine is going through right now,” Carey said about the Grammy-winning singer.
Dion is slated to return to the stage to perform Feb. 23.
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