One Direction stars pay final respects to Liam Payne

FAMILY and friends of Liam Payne, the One Direction star who died last month after falling from a hotel room in Buenos Aires, gathered for his funeral on Wednesday.

The private service was held at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with Payne’s former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson among the mourners. Payne’s parents, his two sisters, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, and his former partner Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he has a son, were also in attendance.

A small group of fans watched from behind a cordon as guests embraced and entered the 12th-century church, where floral tributes had been placed.

"Because his death was such a public death, to have the funeral in a private way... I think it was very nice," said Sheila Morris, a 65-year-old onlooker from Amersham. "It's a beautiful church... it's a very beautiful place for a funeral," she added.

Payne’s coffin arrived in a white horse-drawn hearse adorned with floral tributes spelling "Son" and "Daddy," followed by his parents.

The singer, aged 31, was found dead on 16 October after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires.

A post-mortem examination confirmed that Payne died from "multiple traumas" and "internal and external haemorrhaging" after his fall from a balcony overlooking a patio 14 metres high.

Hotel staff had contacted emergency services twice, reporting a guest “overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol” who was “destroying” a hotel room. Investigators said Payne was alone at the time and appeared to have been “going through an episode of substance abuse.”

Payne’s family issued a short statement after his death: "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul."

One Direction described themselves as "completely devastated" by his passing.

Payne rose to fame with Styles, Horan, Tomlinson, and Malik after competing on The X Factor in 2010. The band became one of the highest-grossing live acts globally, releasing albums annually until they announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016, a year after Malik left the group.

Payne’s solo career included hits like "Strip That Down," which reached number three on the UK charts and number 10 on the US Billboard top songs list. His last single, "Teardrops," was released in March, with plans for a second album announced at the time.

In recent years, Payne had spoken openly about his struggles with substance abuse and coping with early fame.

Born and raised in Wolverhampton, central England, Payne’s death prompted an outpouring of grief worldwide, with thousands of fans gathering to pay tribute.

(With inputs from AFP)