Celine Dion Greets Mourners at Viewing for Late Husband
René Angélil died last week following a battle with cancer.
— -- Céline Dion has made her first public appearance since the death of her husband, René Angélil, and her brother, Daniel Dion, who died two days after her husband.
The singer attended a viewing for Angélil in Montreal on Thursday afternoon, according to footage captured by local media.
The viewing took place at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal, where the couple wed in 1994.
Wearing a black dress, black gloves and a black veil, with her hair slicked back into a bun, an emotional Dion stood in front of Angélil's open coffin and dabbed away tears as she accepted condolences from fans, family and friends.
Le Journal de Montreal reported that more than 600 people lined up in the freezing cold to say their final goodbyes to Angélil, who died Jan. 14 at the age of 73 after a long battle with cancer. Some had been lined up as early as 6 a.m. in hopes of catching a glimpse of the singer, who arrived around 2 p.m.
The viewing was the first time that the entire Dion family had reunited since the successive deaths of Angélil and Daniel Dion.
"We let the dust settle ... [our] mother had been giving us the news for the past few days," Celine's sister Claudette told the newspaper.