Cheryl's heartbreaking final vow to Liam Payne at star's funeral

Cheryl made a heart-wrenching final promise to Liam Payne, the father of her child, during his emotional funeral service on Wednesday afternoon. The former Girls Aloud star was among the mourners, including One Direction's Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, who gathered to bid farewell to the beloved singer at St Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

This sombre occasion comes one month after the tragic incident on October 16, when Liam Payne fell from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. It is understood that Cheryl played a significant role in organising the funeral alongside Liam's bereaved parents, Geoff and Karen Payne.

While many anticipated the service would take place in his birthplace of Wolverhampton, Buckinghamshire held special significance for Liam as it was where he, Cheryl, and their son Bear had made their home.

After the couple parted ways, Liam purchased a property close to Cheryl's in Chalfont Saint Giles to stay close to Bear.

Sources close to the family reveal that Liam's loved ones were determined to give him a respectful and "perfect" farewell, especially given the shocking nature of his passing. Cheryl, described by friends as "devastated" by the loss, has made a poignant final pledge to Liam for the sake of their seven year old son, Bear, reports the Mirror.

Speaking to MailOnline, a friend revealed she has made a heartfelt promise that their child will always remember his father. This poignant pledge comes in the wake of the profound loss felt at the arrival of Liam's coffin at a Home Counties church, drawn by a horse-drawn carriage and adorned with two floral tributes.

One simply had the word "son", while another, deeply moving, from Bear read "Daddy".

Friends of the singer shared that Cheryl is "dreadfully sad" and continued: "She has her own grief, but she also has a little boy who won't see his daddy again, and that is just heartbreaking," they expressed. The source mentioned that despite Cheryl and Liam parting ways in 2018 after a two-year relationship, they remained "bonded" through their shared love for their son.

Cheryl paid homage to her late ex-partner on Instagram, confronting fans with the harsh reality that she must now "face the reality of never seeing his father again". Accompanying a black and white photo of Payne with his son, Cheryl wrote: "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."

"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."

Despite their split, the former couple seemed to maintain a positive relationship prior to Liam's passing, with the Teardrops singer frequently praising his ex-girlfriend as the "best mum in the world" and acknowledging her support in balancing his music career and fatherhood. Liam's funeral was also attended by his girlfriend at the time of his death, Kate Cassidy.

Kate had travelled with Liam to Buenos Aires in October, but was not present at the time of his death, having returned to Miami just four days prior. She has briefly expressed her grief following his passing and shared with fans that they had plans to wed in the future.

Notable attendees at Liam's funeral included Simon Cowell, James Corden, and Adrian Chiles. The former X Factor boss appeared distressed after the service and was consoled by Liam's father Geoff.