Everything you need to know about Celine Dion's sons

Despite an iconic music career, Grammy-winning artist Celine Dion says being a mother is her proudest achievement. As Dion returns to the spotlight in the wake of her late husband's death, we'll reveal all you need to know about the three young boys who will keep her singing love songs for decades to come.


Her twins are named after her heroes

Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in 2011, Dion admitted she and husband René Angélil initially had a tough time picking out names for their twin boys, born Oct. 23, 2010.

"It's hard to find one name. Then, we had to find two," she said. "We were feeling [very] different on names—we didn't agree to start with." She continued, "At the hospital, [we] did not find names; it was Baby A and Baby B."

About a week later, they agreed to compromise. "The first name that popped in my heart was Nelson because we had the privilege of meeting with Mr. Nelson Mandela," she said. Baby B was named Eddy after another one of the couple's heroes: Eddy Marnay wrote Dion's first five French albums.

Her sons were conceived via IVF

All three of Dion's sons—Rene-Charles (born Jan. 25, 2001) and twins Nelson and Eddy (born Oct. 23, 2010)—were conceived utilizing in vitro fertilization.

Ever since she wanted to start a family at the end of the '90s, Dion has been open about her struggle to conceive. She received six IVF treatments before conceiving her twin boys in 2011, one of which resulted in a miscarriage. Just days before her twin boys were born, Dion also revealed in an interview with Quebec TV that she was originally pregnant with triplets. "He chose to let go to give space to his brothers to grow," Dion said of her unborn child, according to US Weekly.

"I'd done five years at Caesars Palace and went half a year around the world on tour and it was finally time to get pregnant again," Dion later told the Daily Mail of her battles with IVF. "I thought as long as my health permitted me and unless my doctor thought physically I couldn't do it, then I would go on with the IVF until someone told me to stop."


"With any pregnancy, whether it's through IVF or not, you feel a danger," she continued. "You have to remain positive and try to relax as much as possible. I always say that my children's first country is inside of me, so I try to make it a good one and be healthy."

Rene-Charles gave the eulogy at his father's funeral

Rene-Charles—who goes by the nickname "RC"—made headlines in 2016 when he gave a touching and emotional eulogy at the funeral for his father, Rene Angelil, in Montreal, Canada.

"You left me now with enough good memories of you to share with my younger brothers," the 15-year-old RC said, according to People magazine. "As they grow older, without you being around, I'll make sure to pass on what I've learned from you. You are a tough act to follow, but with your help, everything's gonna be fine. Dad, I promise you here that we're all going to live up to your standards."

Dion later told People that RC initially did not want to give the eulogy. He changed his mind only after seeking his mother's opinion. "[I said to him], 'This is the last time you can talk to your dad. RC, it's not for me or the people, it's for your dad.'"

Angelil, who worked as a music producer and also served as Dion's manager, died on Jan. 14, 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

Dion used a Pixar movie to explain her husband's death

In the wake of her husband's death, Dion admitted she struggled to find a way to explain the loss to her 5-year-old twin boys. She eventually found help by citing one of her kids' favorite movies, Up!

"I said, you know, today, Papa went up," she told Good Morning America. "…Up is a good thing. Up is uplifting…We're going to celebrate right now because Papa is no more in pain." She took the kids outside, and together, they released balloons, sprinkled pixie dust, and said, "Papa. we love you. Have a good 'up.'"

"It's the thing I'm most proud of," Dion told People magazine. "I did not want to relate the passing to doctors and have them be afraid."

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