Liam Payne’s funeral to take place in England, One Direction band members set to attend

A memorial service for the late British musician, who died aged 31 in Buenos Aires in October, is set to take place at a church in the Home Counties on Wednesday November 20, local time, according to The Sun.

A source told the outlet Payne’s bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik were all expected to attend the private funeral.

“His family have gone to great lengths to put together the perfect service and give him the send off he deserves,” the source disclosed.

“Liam may have been a global superstar but to [parents] Geoff and Karen he will always be their little boy.

“It is going to be an incredibly difficult day.”

While it’s not known exactly where the funeral is taking place, with the Home Counties spanning multiple regions that surround London, Payne grew up in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.

It’s anticipated Payne’s girlfriend, US influencer Kate Cassidy, will be present, as well as his ex-partner Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he welcomed son Bear, now seven.

One person who reportedly won’t be present at the funeral is Payne’s close friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, according to media reports which emerged earlier this week.Nores, an energy tycoon, was reportedly one of the three people who were arrested by local authorities in relation to Payne’s death, after the singer fell from a third-floor balcony on October 16.

The businessman was with Payne at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires in the hours leading up to his fall.

Nores swiftly denied he was arrested on accusations of abandonment, but confirmed he had spoken to police.

“I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” he told The Sun.

“There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left.

“I could have never imagined something like this would happen. I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.”

Authorities in Buenos Aires confirmed earlier this month they had brought charges against a friend of Payne’s, a staff member from the CasaSur Palermo Hotel and an alleged drug dealer.

A hotel worker, believed to be a housekeeper, was charged with providing illegal drugs, including cocaine, to Payne during his brief stay at the hotel.

Police believe the staffer delivered drugs to Payne in a Dove soap box, which was found in the musician’s room.

The other person, an alleged drug supplier, is accused of supplying drugs to Payne twice on October 14, two days before his death.

Both people are facing charges of supplying narcotics.

Authorities said in a press release that Payne “was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall.”

Further, the press release stated in the moments before his death, and in the period of at least 72 hours prior, Payne had “polydrug use of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body”.

 

 

Prosecutors also ruled out “self-harm of any kind and/or physical intervention by third parties.”

Payne died from injuries sustained from the fall. A toxicology report showed Payne had a cocktail of drugs in his system, including cocaine, crack and benzodiazepine, which is a type of depressant.

One Direction band members paid tribute to Payne shortly after news of his death sent shockwaves around the world.

“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the bandmates said in a group statement.

“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.

“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”