One Direction stars among mourners at Liam Payne's funeral service

(From l. to r.) One Direction stars Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan reunited as they attended the funeral of their late bandmate, Liam Payne.  © Collage: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

Payne's former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson were among the dozens of mourners at the private service at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, just outside London.

Payne's tearful parents were joined by his two sisters, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, and former partner Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he has a son.

Around a dozen fans watched from behind a nearby cordon as guests hugged each other before walking past floral tributes into the 12th-century church to pay their final respects.

"Because his death was such a public death, to have the funeral in a private way... I think it was very nice," said onlooker Sheila Morris, a 65-year-old from Amersham.

"It's a beautiful church... it's a very beautiful place for a funeral," she said.

Payne's coffin arrived in a white horse-drawn hearse topped with floral tributes spelling the words "Son" and "Daddy", followed by his parents.

Payne was found dead on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentinian capital.

His death, at 31, prompted a global outpouring of grief from family, former bandmates, and fans, with thousands gathering in cities around the world to offer condolences.

Liam Payne was found dead on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentinian capital.  © Collage: IMAGO / APress & i Images

Payne shot to stardom as a teenager alongside Styles, Horan, Tomlinson, and Malik after their appearance on the UK talent show The X Factor 14 years ago.

He died from "multiple traumas" and "internal and external hemorrhaging" after the fall from the hotel room, a post-mortem examination found.

The balcony attached to his room overlooked a rear patio that was about 45 feet high.

Hotel staff had called emergency services twice to report a guest "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" who was "destroying" a hotel room.

Investigators have said he was alone at the time and appeared to have been "going through an episode of substance abuse".

In a short statement following his death, Payne'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."

One Direction said they had been "completely devastated" by his death.