Liam Payne’s friends and family went out of their way to give the One Direction star the send-off he deserved, incorporating special touches in a subtle nod to the singer.
Mourners, including his former bandmates Harry, Louis, Niall and Zayn, gathered today at a private funeral at St Mary’s Church in Amersham to remember Payne.
At the church in Buckinghamshire, white roses spelling out the word ‘Daddy’ were placed next to roses in the shape of a bowling ball knocking over some pins.
While the pins may have seemed out of place on a gloomy day, the piece reflected the 31-year-old’s passion for the game.
Liam spent his birthday in August bowling with his family and girlfriend Kate Cassidy, just weeks before he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The late singer took to Snapchat during the festivities and was full of jokes in which he teased his followers that his security guard would be fired if he beat him at bowling again.
In the clip, Liam moaned that ‘nothing rhymes with 31′, until Kate suggested ’31 the dirty?’, laughing he replied: ‘No, it’s dirty 30, I’ve surpassed that’.
He also showed off the hoodie his girlfriend bought him before they headed to the track to catch up with his loved ones.
At the church in Buckinghamshire, white roses spelling out the word ‘Daddy’ were placed next to roses in the shape of a bowling ball knocking over some pins.
Many cars arrived at the funeral with Batman stickers in a touching tribute to the star who loved the DC superhero
A horse-drawn carriage carrying Liam Payne’s coffin arrives for the One Direction singer’s funeral service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham
A source told The Sun: ‘Liam was in Manchester with his mum as they celebrated his birthday with family.
‘They were still incredibly close and enjoyed spending time bowling together. Liam’s family stayed with him for a few days at the Stock Exchange Hotel.’
They added: ‘It’s tragic to think that this was ultimately the last time they would celebrate his special day with him.’
Shortly before his death, Kate shared a TikTok of the singer at the bowling alley with the caption: “He takes me bowling at least four times a week.”
One fan commented on the video, saying, “The joy bowling brought him even though he was so bad at it…I miss him so much.”
In 2012, the Daily Mail documented how One Direction band members spent their free time, with Harry and Liam opting for a game of bowling.
Many of the cars arriving at the funeral today sported a Batman sticker in a touching tribute to Liam’s love for the DC character.
A Snapchat of the One Direction star spending time doing what he loved most (photo)
Liam pictured with a bowling ball on his Snapchat – bowling was one of his passions
The late singer took to Snapchat (pictured) on his birthday and was full of jokes teasing his followers that his security guard would be fired if he beat him at bowling again
Liam (photo) at the bowling alley. His girlfriend Kate previously said: ‘He takes me bowling at least four times a week’
Some fans said Payne was “obsessed” with Batman and apparently once had a life-size cutout of the superhero in his room, The Mirror reported.
He posted a photo of himself in 2013 on am Batman .’
He was also pictured wearing a Lego Batman necklace in 2017 while previously dressing up as the Gotham City hero for Jonathan Ross’ Halloween party.
The One Direction star celebrated one of his birthdays with a Batman-themed cake and owned a realistic Batman costume that he wore to multiple Halloween parties from 2012 to 2019.
A horse-drawn carriage today brought the dark blue coffin with silver handles, crowned with white roses, to the service at the church in the Home Counties.
The hearse also contained a red floral tribute with the text ‘son’ and a blue tribute with the text ‘dad’. After the service, his coffin was carried to a black Jaguar hearse.
Liam’s former partner Cheryl said an emotional farewell today as he was laid to rest.
The former Girls Aloud singer, 41, walked behind her ex’s coffin after a moving ceremony attended by family members and a host of stars from the worlds of music and sport.
Harry Styles, 30, joined fellow One Direction members Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, to celebrate the life of their beloved former bandmate. They describe themselves as ‘completely devastated’.
One Direction creator Simon Cowell hugged Payne’s parents Geoff and Karen as they left the church, while Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, was comforted by her boyfriend Damian Hurley, 22.
Cheryl dated Payne between 2016 and 2018 and they share a son, Bear. She was supported at the service by fellow Girls Aloud members Nicola Roberts, 39, and Kimberley Walsh, 43.
They were joined by new Radio 2 Breakfast DJ Scott Mills, James Corden and Marvin and Rochelle Humes.
The location of the funeral was a closely guarded secret and local residents only realized it was taking place when ‘no parking’ signs were placed around the church.
A handful of locals and fans gathered outside the church to pay their last respects.