Liam Payne's funeral will be held today to finally lay the popstar to rest after his tragic death last month - but why are the details being held so close to the chest?
Today (Wednesday 20 November) marks a sombre date where loved ones - including his former One Direction bandmates and girlfriend Kate Cassidy - will gather at a Home Counties church to pay their respects to the 31-year-old singer.
There has been some confusion from the public however as to why the exact location is being withheld. And equally, many people don't know what the Home Counties actually are...
What are the Home Counties?
The Home Counties are a group of counties in England that were thought to have got their title way back in the Tudor times, though there is speculation about their origin.
England is divided into 48 counties and six of them are Home Counties; Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent and Surrey.
However, it is sometimes disputed that Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, East Sussex and West Sussex are also part of the group.
But, what gives these areas the title and why are they considered 'important'?
Well, the Home Counties have the title because they are the areas that border London. Those with disputed inclusion have so because they do not border London, but are sometimes considered as Home Counties because of the close proximity and good connections to the capital city.
Many consider the Home Counties as 'affluent' as some of the towns and villages within are ranked as the wealthiest places in Britain. Despite that, it's thought that some of the poorest people in the UK also reside there due to the stark cost-of-living due to being so close to London.
As the Home Counties are so close the capital, celebrities often set up base there - including Liam who bought a property in Buckinghamshire in 2021. He was originally from Wolverhampton.
Why is the funeral in the Home Counties?
Despite Liam being born and having grown up in Wolverhampton, his funeral is being held in one of the Home Counties.
There might be a couple of reasons to do with this. One being that Cheryl Tweedy, who is the mum to Liam's son Bear, 7, lives in the Home Counties.
After Liam and Cheryl split in 2018, Liam reportedly assisted Cheryl to buy a £3.7million mansion where she would reside with Bear and her mum Joan. Liam also lived in a town in one of the Home Counties, presumably so he could be close to his young son.
The Girls Aloud star and former X Factor judge described Liam's death as an "earth-shattering event" and candidly shared that it has been an "indescribably painful time."
Wolverhampton has also been flooded by fan memorials. Fans have already laid written and floral tributes to Liam in his hometown, where city workers had to relocate the unofficial memorial due to the size of it.
Why is exact location being withheld?
If you've been following the tragic story of Liam Payne after he fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina on October 16, then you'll most likely be aware of a lot of the details surrounding his untimely passing - including that three people have now been charged in connection with his death.
However, you might be wondering why the details of his funeral are sparse and why the location is being vaguely reported as just the Home Counties.
Liam's family reportedly want the funeral to go smoothly and "without a hitch," according to a source who spoke to The Sun. This came to light after it was revealed that his manager, Roger, is not expected to attend.
A source revealed to The Sun: "Liam's family want his funeral to go off without a hitch and right now opinions are strained when it comes to Roger.
After his devastated father Geoff Payne endured the agonising wait in Argentina before he could repatriate his son's remains, the flight on which Liam was brought back to the UK became 'the most watched in the world'.
Some argued that the One Direction fans' incessantly tracking the flight were 'invading the privacy' of Liam and his grief-stricken dad. It's a sentiment that is supposedly a concern for the funeral today, which will be for loved ones to grieve instead of the possibility of the church being swarmed with fans.
As Liam's family allegedly want the funeral to "go without hitch" then it seems that keeping the location vague will help keep any unwanted drama or interference at bay.
Shortly after Liam's death became public knowledge, his family shared: "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul."
Back in 2022, Liam commented on stage while performing to a large crowd in the US about how he wanted to be remembered. He said: "Honestly, just being a nice guy. I would rather be known for being a nice guy than anything else."
"I always hated the term 'role model', we were 16-year-old boys in a band that were dumping water on each other on stage every night.
"Very early on, I was like 'you can't really be a role model if you are still learning, don't follow me because I am learning with you."
English (US) ·