Liam Payne's son Bear's heartbreaking tribute to dad at funeral
by Sam Cooper, Lucy Needham · NottinghamshireLiveA heart-rending homage dedicated to Liam Payne by his son Bear created poignant scenes at the singer's funeral. The former One Direction member Liam has been honoured with a service in the home counties after his passing last month.
He tragically fell from his Buenos Aires hotel room balcony in October. Today (November 20), loved ones converged to bid their final farewells. Liam's body was paraded to the church in a procession led by white horses, his coffin adorned with floral tributes.
Among them was one from his seven year old son Bear, spelling out 'Daddy' in white roses next to the graveyard during today's ceremony.
Another arrangement featured red roses forming the word "son", a message from Liam’s parents. A hush descended as Payne’s father Geoff and mother Karen stepped out of their vehicle to join the vicar, reports the Mirror.
Liam's family arrived last, following close friends who had already gathered at the church. Members of One Direction came together once again, including Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, accompanied by pop impresario Simon Cowell for the private Buckinghamshire funeral, commemorating Payne who died at 31.
Styles, clad in black, was seen arriving in a BMW with TV personality James Corden, both heading swiftly into the church, whereas X Factor’s Cowell made his appearance with fiancée Lauren Silverman.
A horse-drawn carriage, bearing a dark blue coffin with silver handles and adorned with white roses, made its way to the church. Among those in attendance were Payne's girlfriend, US influencer Kate Cassidy, who was seen arriving with Damian Hurley, son of model Elizabeth Hurley.
Girls Aloud members Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh arrived at St Mary's Church in Amersham, donning long black coats and sunglasses. Before the funeral commenced, locals and fans gathered to honour Payne, who tragically passed away on October 16 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
In the wake of his death, tributes poured in globally, including a shrine in his Wolverhampton hometown. The post-mortem indicated he suffered multiple traumas and "internal and external haemorrhage".
Payne found stardom with Styles, Tomlinson, Malik, and Horan as part of One Direction, formed on The X Factor in 2010 by Simon Cowell. He later embarked on a solo career, releasing his album LP1 in December 2019, featuring hits like Polaroid and Strip That Down with Quavo.