Funeral of singer Liam Payne takes place in England

FAMILY AND FRIENDS of One Direction star Liam Payne, who died last month after falling from a Buenos Aires hotel room, gathered for his funeral in England today.

Payne’s coffin arrived in a white horse-drawn hearse topped with floral tributes spelling the words “Son” and “Daddy”, followed by his parents.

His death, at 31, prompted a global outpouring of grief from family, former bandmates and fans, with thousands gathering in cities around the world to offer condolences.

Payne was born and raised in Wolverhampton in central England.

His tearful parents were joined today by his two sisters, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, and former partner Cheryl Tweedy, who is the mother of Liam’s son.

Former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson were among the dozens of mourners at the private service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, outside London.

Around a dozen fans watched from behind a nearby cordon as guests hugged each other before walking past floral tributes into the 12th-century church to pay their final respects.

“Because his death was such a public death, to have the funeral in a private way… I think it was very nice,” said onlooker Sheila Morris, a 65-year-old from Amersham.

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“It’s a beautiful church… it’s a very beautiful place for a funeral,” she said.

Following Payne’s death fans around the world held vigils in his memory, including a shrine to the late star in his hometown of Wolverhampton.

He died of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”, a post-mortem examination report said.

He rose to fame alongside Styles, Tomlinson, Malik and Horan when Simon Cowell put them together to form One Direction on ITV talent show The X Factor in 2010.

Payne later went on to launch a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo.

In a short statement following his death, Payne’s family said: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”

One Direction said they had been “completely devastated” by his death.

© AFP 2024

Additional reporting by Press Association