Ryan O'Neal and his son Redmond were moved to tears as they listened to a letter written to them by the Charlie's Angels star before her death from cancer last week.

The note read out by a friend at her funeral was intended to give her and Ryan's wayward boy inspiration to overcome his substance abuse issues. 

In it the actress tells the 24-year-old: "The greatest gift of my life was to be your mother".

"By leaving you behind I hope you will be able to work out all your troubles and grow as a person."  

Redmond attended the service in the presence of police officers, having been given three hours release from jail to say goodbye to his mother.

In a lighter tone, the letter also addressed the actress's 30-year on/off relationship  with Ryan, which was full of twists and turns. "When I figure out what it's all about I can tell you", she wrote.

Photo: � Getty Images