One Direction members reunite at Liam Payne's funeral near London
Friends and family gathered Wednesday to mourn the singer, who died last month at age 31
Former One Direction members came together on Tuesday to bid farewell to bandmate Liam Payne at his funeral.
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson joined family and friends at a private service for Payne, who passed away last month at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
A horse-drawn carriage carried Payne's coffin, adorned with white roses, to St. Mary’s Church in Amersham, located about 40 kilometers northwest of London. The dark blue casket, featuring silver handles, was brought into the 800-year-old church by pallbearers for the solemn ceremony.
The funeral location was kept private to avoid drawing large crowds, though local residents and fans gathered nearby to pay their respects.
Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen, arrived at the church alongside the carriage, which carried floral tributes reading “Son” and “Daddy.” Payne leaves behind a seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with singer Cheryl Tweedy.
Among the mourners were Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, as well as notable figures like actor and presenter James Corden, former soccer player Robbie Keane, and music producer Simon Cowell, who played a pivotal role in forming One Direction.
The group was created in 2010 when the five teenagers, who initially auditioned as solo artists on The X-Factor, were brought together by Cowell. They went on to become one of the most successful boy bands in history, powered by their dedicated fan base known as “Directioners.”
Following the band’s split in 2016, Payne pursued a solo career, though it didn’t reach the heights of One Direction's success. He was candid about facing challenges with mental health and alcohol under the pressures of fame.
Argentine prosecutors revealed that Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his fatal fall from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16. Three individuals have been charged in connection with his death, facing allegations of "abandonment of a person followed by death" and "supplying and facilitating the use of narcotics."
