Members of One Direction came together today for the first time in nine years to say their final goodbyes to their bandmate, Liam Payne.
KanyiDaily recalls that Liam Payne, 31, tragically died on October 16, 2024, after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, were seen publicly together for the first time since the band split. They gathered to honor Liam, who tragically fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina last month.
Malik was the first to leave the group in August 2015, citing stress, and withdrew from the band’s world tour. The group officially broke up in January 2016, leaving millions of fans heartbroken.
The four former bandmates arrived separately at the church earlier today, November 20, 2024, to join family and friends of the late singer for an emotional farewell.
The private ceremony took place on Wednesday in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, located just northwest of London.
Harry Styles, dressed in black, arrived in a BMW, while Niall Horan attended with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley. Zayn Malik arrived shortly after Louis Tomlinson.
Along with the band members, mourners included Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, his ex-partner Cheryl, with whom he shares a son, and his parents.
Payne’s coffin was transported to the church in a white horse-drawn hearse, adorned with floral tributes reading “son” and “daddy.”
After the service, four pallbearers carried the coffin out of St Mary’s Church, followed by his parents and Cheryl. Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts also attended, as did One Direction’s former label boss, Simon Cowell, who was seen comforting the family.
TV presenters James Corden, Marvin and Rochelle Humes, Scott Mills, and Adrian Chiles were also there.
Other floral tributes at the service included one shaped like bowling pins and a ball, referencing Payne’s love for the sport.
A small group of locals and onlookers gathered outside the church, but fans largely kept their distance, with some One Direction fans on Reddit reminding others that “memorials are for fans, funerals are for family.”
Liam Payne lived in the nearby village of Chalfont St Giles. He passed away on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
His family issued a brief 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.”
An autopsy revealed that Payne, 31, suffered internal and external injuries from the fall.
Payne became a household name after appearing on *The X Factor*, where, despite finishing third in 2010, he helped form One Direction, one of the biggest British bands since The Beatles. The group sold 70 million records, earned four UK number one singles, and had four number one albums.
Payne, who co-wrote many of the band’s hits, also found solo success with songs like *Strip That Down* and *Bedroom Floor*.
He is survived by his parents, two sisters, and his son Bear, whom he shared with Cheryl.
See more photos below:
KanyiDaily recalls that Liam Payne’s last photo and video, shared just before his death, went viral as fans tried to piece together what happened between the time of his posts and his tragic passing.