One Direction stars attend Liam Payne’s funeral in the UK following his death in the autumn from his Buenos Aires hotel room

Amersham, England — Family and friends of the One Direction star Liam PayneWHO died last month after falling from a hotel room in Buenos Aires, gathered for his funeral in Britain on Wednesday. Payne’s former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson were among mourners at the private service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, just outside London.

The late singer’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy also attended, as did his former partner, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy.

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

Payne’s casket arrived in a white horse-drawn hearse topped with floral tributes spelling out the words “Son” and “Father,” 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 Argentine capital.

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

Payne shot to stardom as a teenager alongside Styles, Horan, Tomlinson and Malik after the band formed on British talent show “The X Factor” 14 years ago.

Payne died of “multiple trauma” and “internal and external bleeding” after falling from the hotel, an autopsy showed. The balcony attached to his room overlooked a backyard, 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 Payne was alone at the time and appeared to be “going through a substance abuse episode.”

In early November, Argentine prosecutors said three people had been charged in connection with Payne’s death, including a person they said had spent time with Payne every day he was in Buenos Aires. That person was charged with abandoning a person followed by death, which carries a sentence of five to 15 years in prison. statement released by Argentina’s National Criminal and Prosecutor’s Office.

In a brief statement after his death, Payne’s family said: “We are devastated. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”

The One Direction co-stars said they had been “completely devastated” by his death.

After forming in 2010, the band went on to release an album of radio-ready songs each year in time for the Christmas shopping season and became one of the highest grossing live acts in the world.

In 2016, after Malik left, the group said it was on an indefinite hiatus but not breaking up.

Payne’s first solo single “Strip That Down” peaked at number three on the UK charts and number 10 on the US Billboard Top Songs chart.

But in recent years, he had spoken publicly from an early age about struggles with substance abuse and dealing with fame.

His last solo effort, a single called “Teardrops,” was released in March, with a second album promised at the time.

Payne was born and raised in Wolverhampton in central England. He is survived by his parents, two sisters and a son with Cheryl Tweedy.