Céline Dion — Her Husband’s Funeral Broke The Bank

Céline Dion publicly mourned the death of her beloved husband René Angélil with a huge state funeral in Canada — but the Quebec government is balking at the bill! The government was originally eager to host the huge event after René passed away on January 14 after a long battle with throat cancer. Then the bureaucrats found out how much it cost!

Celine's star power turned René's funeral into a blockbuster worldwide media event. Now the Montreal Gazette reports that the touching services ended up costing approximately $700,000. A typical national funeral usually comes in at 1/10th of that price!

The state funeral was treated like a showbiz event, complete with a production company hired to run the affair. Now the Quebec government has declared that they're only willing to pay for specific services adding up to $49,770. That's despite the province originally sending representatives to suggest that Quebec host the heartbreaking services!

The cheapskates in Quebec are actually trying to pay less for René's funeral than the country has for hockey players! Sports icon Jean Béliveau had a funeral that cost taxpayers $60,000, and athlete Maurice Richard's national mourning only cost $56,000!

The day after René's passing on Jan. 14, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard rushed to announce that the province would host the funeral. Both the dead manager and his wife were born there.

“We were touched by the death of René Angélil," said Couillard. "We wish to respect the wishes of Céline Dion and her family. Quebecers will have the chance to bid farewell to a man that left a mark on the cultural landscape of our nation."

While the haggling begins over the cost of René's funeral, Celine continues to entertain audiences with her Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace — where The National ENQUIRER caught the heartbroken singer breaking down during a performance.