One month after his death, Liam Payne was laid to rest during a private funeral service in Amersham, England, on Wednesday. Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Mailk, and Louis Tomlinson were in attendance to pay their respects to their fellow One Direction member.
Payne’s casket arrived at the church in a white horse-drawn carriage shortly after a number of mourning attendees arrived. Among them appeared Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, as well as Simon Cowell, James Corden, Jamie Scott, and Rochelle Humes. Girls Aloud members Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts attended in support of Cheryl Cole, who shares a 7-year-old son with Payne.
The service was closed to the public, but a number of fans and photographers gathered on the streets outside of the venue. Most fans took more respectful approaches to mourning the musician, including gathering at vigils and memorials in cities throughout the world in the days and weeks after he died.
Payne died of multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a cranial injury as a result of his fall from the third story of the CasaSur hotel in Palermo on Oct 16. Three people — a friend of Payne, a hotel worker, and an alleged drug dealer — have been charged with supplying the singer with the drugs twice before his death.
In October, an outpouring of tributes and support arrived from close friends, family, and collaborators who mourned Payne. Tomlinson, Malik, Horan, and Styles each published individual tribute posts on social media in the days following his death. They also penned a joint statement that was published to One Direction’s official Instagram account. It marked the first post on the account since July 2020. The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2016.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” the band wrote. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Cole also shared a statement in which she asked for privacy and respect as she and Payne’s family continue to mourn. “As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” Cole wrote on social media at the time. “Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7-year-old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”
“I am begging you to consider what use some of these reports are serving, other than to cause further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces,” Cole wrote. “Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them. Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”
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