Liam Payne's Final Farewell: Flowers Heaped at Church As Tragic Singer's Family, Friends and Bandmates Finally Able to Gather for Funeral
Nov. 20 2024, Published 6:13 a.m. ET
Flowers have been arranged outside of the church where Liam Payne's funeral will take place today.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the late singer's One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik will all be in attendance at the service alongside his family and closest friends.
It's currently snowing at the location – which is being kept secret – and a marquee has been put up in preparation for guests' arrival, headed by Payne's parents Geoff and Karen.
Autumnal floral displays, made up of red and orange leaves, as well as white roses, have been set up around the doorways of the 12th century church.
Florists were also seen unloading dozens of bunches of white flowers from a van shortly after 9 AM this morning.
Payne's former girlfriend, Cheryl, 41, the mother of his seven-year-old son Bear, will be attending.
A source told The Sun: "His family have gone to great lengths to put together the perfect service and give him the send off he deserves.
"Liam may have been a global superstar but to Geoff and Karen he will always be their little boy.
"It is going to be an incredibly difficult day."
In a short statement following his death, Liam'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."
The 31-year-old star died just over a month ago on October 16 from head injuries he sustained after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel suite in Buenos Aires.
His heart-broken father Geoff brought his son's remains back to Britain two weeks ago, after extensive examinations from the Argentinian authorities into his death, which led to delays in bringing the singer back home.
Payne travelled to Argentina in September with girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, where he watched former bandmate Horan perform and also saw his close friend Rogelio "Roger" Nores.
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He had extended his stay to renew his visa to live in the US when the tragedy occurred.
In a joint statement released in the wake of Payne's tragic death, Tomlinson, Malik, Horan, and Styles said they were "completely devasted."
They said: "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 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 — Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry."
Tomlinson, 32, Styles, 30, Horan, 31, and Malik, 31, all later released separate tributes.
RadarOnline.com revealed this week Payne's friend Nores will not be attending the service due to the ongoing police investigation following the singer’s death.
An insider told The Sun: "Liam's family wants his funeral to go off without a hitch and right now opinions are strained when it comes to Roger.
"It's true he and Liam had a bond but he's never been popular when it comes to Liam's wider circle."
The source added: "There is a difference in the narrative, Roger would say he stepped back from working with Liam – others would say he was pushed. Many people didn't even know Liam and Roger had reconnected until his fateful trip to Argentina last month.
"Due to the ongoing investigation in Argentina, he's not welcome at this week's service."
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