26 JULY 2001
The ceremony inside a chapel attached to Quebec’s Notre-Dame Basilica was a serious and relatively low-key family affair. But the publicity frenzy which met Canadian songbird Celine Dion and her husband Rene Angelil as they arrived for the christening of their baby son on Wednesday had all the hallmarks of a Hollywood premiere.

Streets in the city’s historic district were closed off, a blue carpet had been rolled out leading into the chapel and the couple’s arrival with six-month-old Rene-Charles was broadcast on national television. Cameras whirred as a horde of photographers snapped the pair stepping out of their limousine in front of a cheering crowd of 1,500.

“I’m here because it’s Celine Dion. She’s the best singer in the world and she’s a Quebecer. I think she represents Quebec to the rest of the world,” enthused one bystander.

Around 250 family members and guests attended the baptism itself, which followed the rites of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church, of which Rene is a member. This meant his son was confirmed and received first communion at the same time.

Proud mum Celine, 33, who is perhaps best known for her smash hit My Heart Will Go On from the film Titanic, wore a sober grey suit accessorized with a string of pearls for the ceremony. Recently named the world’s best-selling female artist, she has taken a three-year sabbatical from her career to care for her son. Her comeback in 2003 will kick off with a steady gig at Las Vegas casino and showroom Caesars Palace.