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Family, friends and former bandmates gathered to say goodbye to former One Direction singer Liam Payne at a private funeral north-west of London.
Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, along with Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, and many other famous faces entered the lavish 12th century church on Wednesday afternoon (around midnight AEDT).
His parents were seen standing outside, mother Karen crying, while father Geoff stood stoically.
Famous faces arrived in pairs and groups, most dressed in long black coats against the sharp wind under clear blue skies.
Payne’s coffin was next, a navy blue casket draped with white roses in an ornate white carriage pulled by two majestic white horses.
Cameras panned from a distance as pallbearers carried the coffin past the headstones to the back of St Mary’s Church in Amersham, and location reporters were asked to remain undercover ahead of the funeral to allow loved ones to grieve away from the throngs of fans who would no doubt have made the pilgrimage.
Despite this, several dozen fans and observers lined the unusual street in the picturesque town.
Attendees included Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, Girls Aloud singers Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, late-night TV host James Corden and The X factor creator Simon Cowell.
Actor and model Damian Hurley, singers Jamie Scott and Marvin Humes and radio presenters Jordan North and Sian Welby were also there.
A preliminary toxicological analysis showed that the 31-year-old had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body, the state prosecutor’s office announced.
In Argentina, three people have been charged with crimes related to the death of a singer who openly struggled with mental health and addiction.
His former One Direction bandmates paid tribute to the 31-year-old in the days following his death, both as a “totally devastated” unit and individually.
“We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our dearly loved brother,” they said in a joint statement.
“We will cherish the memories we shared with him forever.
“For now, our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans who loved him with us. We will miss him terribly.
From X Factor hopeful to breakout star: the life of Liam Payne
Horan, whose show Payne traveled to Buenos Aires to see days before her death, called it “the brightest in any room.”
Styles said Payne’s “greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honor to be around him.”
Tomlinson said he looked up to the “positive, funny and kind soul” every day and promised to be an uncle to Payne’s son, Bear.
Malik, who postponed his US tour to attend the funeral, said he had lost his brother and “even though we butted heads a few times over it, I always secretly respected you for it”.
Payne rose to fame as a member of One Direction, the boy band based on the British television series The X factor in 2010.
After each singer failed to make it through the competition as a solo artist, Cowell and his fellow judges combined them into one of the best-selling boy groups of all time.
He is survived by Bear (7), whom he raised with singer Cheryl Tweedy after the couple split in 2018.
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