Celine Dion leads hundreds of mourners for late husband

Singer Celine Dion, accompanied by her three sons and her mother, led hundreds of mourners at a funeral for her late husband and manager, Rene Angelil in Montreal on Friday.

Wearing a black veil, the singer entered the city's Notre Dame Basilica, holding the hands of her five-year-old twins, Nelson and Eddy.

Her 14-year-old son, Rene Charles, followed closely with Dion's mother Therese, as hundreds turned out to pay their respects.

Earlier in the day, the area surrounding the cathedral was packed with well-wishers for the national funeral - the closest a Canadian citizen can get to a state funeral which is in-part paid for by the government.

The couple are so popular in the province that Angélil and his grieving wife were offered the honour.

Also in attendance was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, and federal Heritage Minister Mélanie Jol.

In a eulogy to his father, Rene Charles said: "You are a tough act to follow, but with your help, everything's going to be fine. Dad, I promise you here that we're all going to live up to your standards."

Heartbroken Dion maintained her composure at the ceremony, tenderly kissing her husband's casket at the end of the service.

Angelil discovered Dion when she was 12-years-old and helped propel her to stardom. The couple married in 1994. He died on January 14 after a long battle with cancer.

Two days later, Dion's older brother Daniel, 59, also passed away after battling cancer for several years.

Dion is currently in the middle of a residency concert series in Las Vegas, Nevada. She cancelled two shows last week following Angelil's death and is set to return to Caesars Palace in late February.