On Wednesday, family, friends, and former One Direction bandmates gathered to remember Liam Payne at his funeral, held just over a month after his passing at the age of 31. The private ceremony took place in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, northwest of London.
Among the mourners were Payne’s former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, as well as his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and ex-partner Cheryl, the mother of his son.
A white horse-drawn hearse delivered Payne’s coffin to the church, adorned with floral tributes that read “son” and “daddy.”
After the service, four pallbearers carried the coffin from St Mary’s Church, accompanied by his parents and Cheryl.
Girls Aloud members Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts were present, along with One Direction’s former label chief Simon Cowell, who offered comfort to the family.
Presenters James Corden, Marvin and Rochelle Humes, Scott Mills, and Adrian Chiles also mourned at the service.
Additional floral tributes included a set shaped like bowling pins and a ball, a nod to one of Payne’s cherished hobbies.
While a few locals and onlookers stood outside the church, fans largely respected the family’s privacy, heeding online reminders that “memorials are for fans, funerals are for family.”
Payne had resided in the nearby village of Chalfont St Giles. He died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Following his tragic death, his family released a statement expressing their devastation and remembering Liam as kind, humorous, and courageous.
An autopsy revealed that he had sustained internal and external bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries.
Payne had become a global pop icon since his rise to fame on The X Factor.
Though One Direction finished third in the 2010 competition, they became the most successful British group since The Beatles, selling 70 million records and achieving numerous chart-topping singles and albums.
Besides contributing significantly as a co-writer to many of the band’s hits, Payne also enjoyed solo success with songs like “Strip That Down” and “Bedroom Floor.”
He is survived by his parents, two sisters, and his son Bear, whom he shared with Cheryl of Girls Aloud.
