Amersham, England -One Direction star’s family and friends Liam Paynefrom He died last month After falling from a hotel room in Buenos Aires, they gathered for his funeral in Britain on Wednesday. Payne’s former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson were among the mourners at the special service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, outside London.
The late singer’s friend Kate Cassidy also attended, as did his former partner, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy.
About a dozen fans watched from behind a nearby security cordon as the guests embraced each other before they passed in front of the 12th-century church to pay their last respects to the singer.
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Payne’s casket arrived in a white horse-drawn hearse covered in floral tributes spelling the words “Son” and “Papa,” followed by his parents.
Payne was found dead on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his room on the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital.
His death at the age of 31 sparked a wave of global grief among his family, former bandmates and fans, with thousands gathering in cities around the world to offer condolences.
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Payne rose to stardom as a teenager alongside Styles, Horan, Tomlinson and Malik after forming the band on the popular British talent show “The X Factor” 14 years ago.
Payne died of “multiple trauma” and “internal and external bleeding” after falling from the hotel, a post-mortem examination showed. The balcony attached to his room overlooked a backyard about 45 feet high.
Hotel staff called emergency services twice to report a guest who was “high on drugs and alcohol” and was “ruining” a hotel room. Investigators said Payne was alone at the time and appeared to be “going through a substance abuse incident.”
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In early November, Argentine prosecutors He said that three people had been charged Regarding Payne’s death, including one person who they said spent time with Payne every day he was in Buenos Aires. This person was accused of abandoning a person and then dying, which is punishable by imprisonment for a period ranging from five to 15 years, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. A statement was issued By the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office of Argentina.
In a short statement after his death, Payne’s family said: “We are saddened. Liam will live in our hearts forever and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave spirit.
The One Direction co-stars said they were “absolutely devastated” by his death.
After forming in 2010, the band has continued to release an album of radio-ready songs each year in time for the holiday shopping season and has become one of the highest-grossing live acts in the world.
In 2016, after Malik left, the group said it was on indefinite hiatus but had not disbanded.
Payne’s first single “Strip That Down” peaked at No. 3 on the UK charts and No. 10 on the US Billboard charts.
But in recent years he has spoken publicly about his struggles with drug abuse and coping with fame from an early age.
His latest solo work, a song called “Teardrops”, was released in March, with a second album promised at that time.
Payne was born and raised in Wolverhampton, central England. He is survived by his parents, two sisters, and a son with Cheryl Tweedy.