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CULTURE | 20-11-2024 16:29

Late One Direction singer Liam Payne finally laid to rest at UK funeral

Late One Direction star’s bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson among mourners at service in Buckinghamshire.

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

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

Payne's tearful parents were joined by his two sisters, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and former partner Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he has a son, Bear.

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. "It's a beautiful church... it's a very beautiful place for a funeral.”

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

Payne was found dead on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Hotel CasaSur in the Palermo neighbourhood of the capital.

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 shot to stardom as a teenager alongside Styles, Horan, Tomlinson and Malik after their appearance on the UK talent show The X Factor 14 years ago.

He died from "multiple traumas" and "internal and external haemorrhaging" after the fall from the hotel room, a post-mortem examination found.

The balcony attached to his room overlooked a rear patio that was about 10 metres high. 

Earlier this month, three people were arrested in connection with Payne’s death.

A statement issued by prosecutors confirmed media reports that three people had been charged with supplying him with drugs. One of the accused was also charged with abandoning a person in a vulnerable state.

Payne, 31, consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before falling to his death.

Hotel staff had called emergency services twice to report a guest "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" who was "destroying" a hotel room.

Investigators have said he was alone at the time and appeared to have been "going through an episode of substance abuse.”

Prosecutors said their investigation had revealed "illegal conduct" which had led to charges being brought against three individuals, whom it did not name.

It said one of the trio had accompanied him on a daily basis during his stay in Buenos Aires and was charged with abandoning a person who later died, as well as supplying him with narcotics.

The second suspect is a hotel employee accused of twice supplying Payne with cocaine while he was staying at the hotel.

A third person is also accused of supplying him with the drug on October 14, two days before his death.

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, one of the highest-grossing live acts in the world, said they had been "completely devastated" by his death.

In 2016, after Malik left the band, the group said it was on an indefinite hiatus but not splitting up.

Payne's first solo single ‘Strip That Down’ peaked at number three on the UK charts and number 10 on the US Billboard top songs list. But in recent years he had spoken publicly about struggles with substance abuse and coping with fame from an early age.

His last solo work, the single ‘Teardrops,’ was released in March, with a second album announced at the time.

Payne was born and raised in Wolverhampton, central England. His body was repatriated back to the UK earlier this month.

According to UK media reports, Payne’s close friend, Argentine Rogelio 'Roger' Nores, who was with him on the day he died, was not invited to attend the funeral.

MailOnline reported that Nores “was not welcome” due to “tensions” with Payne’s family.


– TIMES/AFP/PERFIL

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