Liam Payne’s son Bear was left outside the church at the One Direction star’s funeral.
Liam’s ex-partner and mother of his child, Cheryl Cole, as well as his former One Direction bandmates, attended the Home Counties service this afternoon.
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Paying tribute to the flowers with the inscription “Dad” in front of the church Credits: Charity Day
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The tribute is placed next to one of the cones and balls. Credit: Reuters
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Cheryl Cole looked somber as she left the churchCredit: PA
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Liam was laid to rest on duty in the Home Counties Credit: Reuters
It was the first time Zayn Malik had been seen with the rest of the band – Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan – since leaving in 2015, months before they split for good.
Cheryl, 41, previously spoke of the grief she feels for her seven-year-old son following the sudden death of his father in Argentina in October.
As friends and family gathered to mourn Liam Payne’s…
Dozens of locals and fans gathered in front of the church to pay their last respects.
The private service was attended by his family and closest friends, with famous friends including X Factor mogul Simon Cowell and James Cordon.
Gavin & Stacey writer and actor followed Harry Styles.
JLS star Marvin Humes and his wife The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes, BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills, ex-footballer Robbie Keane and presenter Adrian Chiles were among the other famous faces.
The entrance to the church was decorated with lanterns with candles and white roses that were arranged in the surrounding bushes.
Then a horse-drawn carriage arrived carrying a dark blue coffin with silver handles, decorated with white roses.
Liam Payne’s funeral will be held tomorrow with all four members of One Direction for a ‘perfect service’
On top of the carriage was a red floral gift with the words “Son” and a blue gift with the words “Dad”.
A hush fell over the crowd as Liam’s father Geoff Payne and mother Karen got out of the vehicle and stood behind the reverend.
The white horse-drawn carriage was then driven away and replaced by a black jaguar hearse parked in front of the church.
A vigil will follow the service.
It used to snow in front of the 12th century church. A tent was set up for the arrival of guests.
A flower gift in the form of cones is placed next to the entrance.
Autumn flower displays, composed of red and orange leaves and white roses, are placed around the church door.
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Simon Cowell and partner Lauren Silverman outside the church Credit: Dan Charity/The Sun
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Zayn Malik reunited with his former bandmates for the first time in nearly a decade Credit: Reuters
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Harry Styles arrives at the funeralCredit: SWNS
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Niall Horan was the last member of 1D to see Liam alive Credit: Getty
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Louis Tomlinson attends the funeralCredit: Getty
Florists were seen unloading dozens of bunches of white flowers from a van shortly after 9am.
A source said before the ceremony: “Liam’s funeral is being held in the home counties.
“His family worked really hard 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’s going to be an incredibly difficult day.”
One Direction fans pay tribute
Per EMILY-JANE HEAP
ONE Direction fan Alice Chapman came to pay tribute to Liam Payne ahead of his funeral today.
The 40-year-old mother, who lives in the area where the funeral is being held, said she wanted to show the late singer’s family how “loved” he was.
She told The Sun: “It was such a shock to hear that Liam had died. I recently lost a friend in similar circumstances, so it touched my heart.
“Liam was just a normal boy from Wolverhampton that we all saw on Saturday night TV with the Chinese guy.”
The former event organizer added: “It’s a sign of respect to stand on the side of the street while his mom and dad drive by.
“I couldn’t imagine anything worse than an empty street if it was my son. We want to show them that people care.
“People don’t appreciate how respected and loved someone was until they’re gone.”
Local singer Alice Henry, 47, said she felt compelled to pay tribute to Liam as she was a parishioner of the church where his funeral was held.
She added: “It’s such a tragic situation. I go to church and I know the vicar who leads the service well, so I wanted to come down and pay my respects.”
Cheryl was a judge on The X Factor when Wolverhampton-born Liam shot to fame as a teenager – and the pair later started dating in 2016.
They welcomed Bear in 2017, and the next day they broke up.
In a brief statement following his death, Liam’s family said: “We are heartbroken.
“Liam will live forever in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”
Liam died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires.
He was in the country to renew his US visa after moving to Florida with his girlfriend, American influencer Kate Cassidy.
During his trip, he attended Niall Horan’s sold-out concert at the Movistar Arena.
After news broke of his son’s death, Liam’s brave father Geoff traveled to South America to help authorities bring his son back to the UK.
Liam gained international fame in 2010 when he auditioned as a solo artist for Simon Cowell’s X Factor.
Then the judges put him in One Direction.
Despite only coming third in the show, One Direction became the biggest British group after the Beatles.
During their five years together, they sold 70 million records and recorded four UK No. 1 singles and four UK No. 1 albums.
Speaking in 2022, Liam said he hoped he would only be remembered as a “good guy” rather than his musical accolades.
Liam said: “Honestly, I’m just being a nice guy. I’d rather be known for being a nice guy than anything else.”
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Pallbearers carry the coffin of the late singerCredit: AFP
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A floral tribute with the words “son” above Liam’s coffin Credits: SWNS
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Flower Gift to the Star Credits: PA
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Liam’s funeral was held at the Home Counties ChurchCredit: SWNS
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Liam’s coffin is carried into the church Credit: Getty
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