Céline Dion can’t believe how fast time has flown by.
Seven years after exchanging their wedding vows in December 1994, Céline and her late husband and longtime manager, René Angélil, welcomed their firstborn, René-Charles, on January 25, 2001. This past Tuesday, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer wished her eldest child a happy 21st birthday with a heartwarming photo and message on Instagram. In the never-before-seen photo, Céline holds René-Charles while a smiling René looks over them. In January 2016, René died at the age of 73 after a continuous battle with throat cancer.
“René-Charles, 21 years of dreams have already passed,” she wrote. “We gave you life… Thank you very much for giving us the wonderful gift of becoming your parents. Since that day, I’ve been thriving as I watch you grow. Your intelligence, your generosity, your courage, and your great sensitivity never cease to move me. We guided you from our dreams, by holding your hand.”
“Keep exploring and above all, listen to your heart knowing that you are always carried by our love, so that now your own dreams can come true. Happy Birthday René-Charles! Have fun my darling… We adore you! T.V.E.C. - Dad, Mom, Nelson and Eddy xx,” she concluded.
Adding another sweet message in her secret code, Céline wrote the initials "T.V.E.C." It is reportedly an acronym for the French phrase, "Tout va être correct," which translates to "everything will be okay." What’s more, the “Courage” singer signed the birthday wish from her, René and their 11-year-old fraternal twin boys, Nelson and Eddy.
After seeing the throwback photo and the accompanying personal note, Céline fans immediately flooded the comments section with heart emojis, heart-eyed emojis and birthday-related emojis. Many also shared their own words for Céline and René-Charles (shortened to RC) in English and French.
“Precious and unforgettable moment Céline. Beautiful and real. Thank you for sharing 🙏💕,” one person wrote. “There is nothing like a mother’s love ♥️,” another added. “Happy Birthday, RC! Céline, I hope you are doing well. Bless you and your family. Hope you have an amazing day celebrating,” a follower commented.
It’s not often that Céline posts pictures of her family on social media. A quick scroll through her Instagram reveals that the last family photo shared was in honor of Mother’s Day 2021. (You can see it above!) While she may not reveal a lot about her home life, Céline has always been open about how much she loves her kids. In a 2019 interview on the British show Lorraine, she shared how René continues to influence their oldest son.
“His dad's sending him good energy," Céline told the outlet. "I told him that I will always have my heart and my hand for him to hold onto because we love him so much and we wish him the best in whatever he decides to do in life, as long as he's happy because he's a great human being."
