The British singer tragically passed away on October 16 while vacationing in Argentina. Liam fell from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires. Alcohol and drugs were found in his system. The artist was laid to rest in his home country. The funeral ceremony took place at a church in Hampshire.
The musician was transported in a dark blue coffin with silver handles, adorned with white roses, in a horse-drawn carriage. The coffin was surrounded by red flowers labeled “son” and blue flowers labeled “dad.” After the service, the coffin was moved to a black Jaguar hearse.
The members of One Direction attended the funeral in full. This marked the popular boy band’s first public reunion since their last concert in 2015. The artists arrived at the church separately.
30-year-old Harry Styles arrived at the funeral in a BMW. 31-year-old Niall Horan came with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley. He had been the last to see Liam alive, as Liam attended Niall’s concert in Buenos Aires on October 4. Next arrived 32-year-old Louis Tomlinson and 31-year-old Zayn Malik. Malik canceled his tour to pay his respects to Payne. Malik was the first to leave One Direction in August 2015, citing stress as the reason for his departure.
The band officially announced their breakup in January 2016, breaking the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. Music producer and TV host Simon Cowell, creator of *X Factor* and One Direction, said his final goodbyes to the late singer, warmly embracing his grieving parents, Jeff and Karen Payne.
The service featured a choir, and one of the floral displays featured bowling pins and a ball as a tribute to Liam’s love for bowling, a hobby he enjoyed four times a week. Attending the ceremony was actress, singer, and model Cheryl Cole, Liam’s former girlfriend and the mother of his only child. The couple was together from 2016 to 2018. Cheryl attended the service without their 7-year-old son Bear.
Also present was Liam’s last girlfriend, 25-year-old American blogger Kate Cassidy. She had been vacationing with the singer in Argentina, but returned to the U.S. two days before the tragedy, tired of his drug-fueled behavior. She attended the funeral with 22-year-old Damian Hurley, the son of Elizabeth Hurley. Among those who paid their respects were former One Direction publicist Simon Jones, Nicola Roberts, Kimberly Walsh, Scott Mills, James Corden, Marvin and Rochelle Humes, Chris Stark, Jordan North, Sian Welby, Robbie Keane, Adrian Chiles, and other celebrities.
