Niall Horan Attends Liam Payne’s Funeral With One Direction Bandmates (PHOTOS)

Heavy/Getty Pallbearers carried Liam Payne's coffin at his private funeral, attended by celebrities including One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson.

Pop superstar and former “The Voice” coach Niall Horan was photographed on November 20, 2024, looking somber outside the private funeral held for his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne at St. Mary’s Church in Amersham, England.

Photos captured by Getty revealed that Horan was joined at the service by fellow One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. Other celebrities photographed at the event — which the New York Post reported was reserved for close family and friends — included Simon Cowell, who’s credited with creating the chart-topping group, and former “Late Late Show” host James Corden.

Payne died on October 16 after falling from his third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, per the Associated Press. An autopsy that night established that Payne suffered “multiple traumas” and “internal and external hemorrhaging” resulting from the fall, per the BBC. Toxicology tests showed traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in Payne’s body, the BBC reported, intentional self-harm was ruled out.

Niall Horan Arrives at Liam Payne’s Funeral

GettyFormer One Direction band members Harry Styles and Niall Horan leave after attending the funeral service of the late One Direction singer Liam Payne on November 20, 2024.

Two weeks before his death, Payne traveled to Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, intent on attending Horan’s concert and reconnecting with his old friend, and told fans in a social media video beforehand that it had “been awhile” since they’d spoken.

On October 19, Horan paid tribute to Payne in an emotional social media post in which he addressed their reunion for the first time, writing, “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”

GettyNiall Horan arrives at the funeral service of the late One Direction singer Liam Payne, at St Mary’s church in Amersham, on November 20, 2024.

In his tribute to Payne, Horan also wrote, “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real.”

He continued, “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and made everyone feel happy and secure. All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever.”

After forming on Britain’s “The X Factor” in 2010, One Direction recorded and toured the world together for five years, selling 70 million copies of their four chart-topping albums, per the Independent. Each member went on to forge solo careers, and Horan also became a highly popular coach on two seasons of “The Voice” in 2023.

Liam Payne’s Coffin Was Delivered to the Church in a Horse-Drawn Carriage

GettyThe Horse-drawn carriage carrying the coffin of late One Direction singer Liam Payne, arrives ahead of his funeral service on November 20, 2024.

Payne’s body was delivered to St. Mary’s Church in a white, horse-drawn carriage with his coffin visible in a glass case topped with flowers, broadcast live by The Times. On top of the carriage, flowers spelled out the words “Son” and “Daddy.” TMZ reported that another floral display next to the church depicted a  “bowling ball crashing through pins,” in honor of Payne’s love of bowling.

His parents, Karen and Geoff Payne, were seen holding each other, per Us Weekly, and photographed embracing Cowell outside of the church. Payne’s ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole, with whom he welcomed son Bear in 2017, also attended the service, according to the New York Post, as did Cassidy, who had left Argentina two days before Payne’s death, per Page Six.

According to the Nottingham Post, Payne’s body was to be buried nearby the church where his funeral was held because Cole and Bear live in a home nearby.

Geoff Payne traveled to Argentina shortly after news of Payne’s death, but authorities did not release his son’s body to him until November 6, according to Page Six.