Here on Wednesday, after what was described by one guest as “the most emotional funeral you could ever imagine”, former partner   Cheryl   Tweedy welcomed friends and loved ones of the tragic singer, who raised a glass to him and hugged each other as they cried.

The location was poignant, as it was there, friends say, on the outskirts of the pretty village of Chalfont St Giles, that Liam was happiest. There he spent time with his beloved son Bear, now seven, often accompanied by Bear’s mother Cheryl.

Friends say father and son bonded over a pair of life-size dinosaurs, one grey and one green, that Liam bought online a decade ago, perhaps a little drunk, as a fun gift to himself. After moving from Surrey a few years ago, the dinosaurs came with him and took pride of place in the gardens of his home. They were also present at the post-funeral gathering on Wednesday.

“Liam loved his garden,” says a friend of the star. “The dinosaurs brought out the child in him and made him happy when things weren’t going so well around him. And then there was Bear – what child wouldn’t want to play with them? It was a place of fond memories, so remembering Liam there was something special.”

The location also gives a clue to the role Cheryl, the 41-year-old lead singer of pop band   Girls Aloud  , played in organising the day.

Former partner Cheryl Tweedy at Liam Payne’s funeral on Wednesday, where she welcomed friends and loved ones of the tragic singer, who raised a glass to him.

Former bandmates Harry Styles and Niall Horan. Harry was the first of the One Direction members to arrive at the funeral.

Bandmate Zayn Malik arrives at the funeral. He was seen outside the church before leaving alone shortly after.

Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole leave Liam Payne’s funeral

Over the past five weeks, she has been a huge support to Liam’s parents, Geoff and Karen, and sisters, Nicola and Ruth, as they begin to come to terms with the devastating loss of Liam, who fell from a third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel last month.

The funeral was undoubtedly one of the toughest days they had to endure in their lives. And I am told that it was Cheryl who played a key role in bringing everyone together in this very personal and meaningful place after the service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

Kate Cassidy , Liam’s girlfriend whom he had been dating since October 2022, is   also believed to have been present at the wake. Earlier, the American influencer arrived at the funeral with Damian Hurley  , the model son of actress   Elizabeth Hurley  . The pair have reportedly formed a strong bond after becoming friends through social media.

This is believed to have been the first time Kate met Liam’s parents, although the meeting would surely have been imminent had he lived.

Following his death, Kate revealed that they had plans to marry. She told her social media followers that he had written her a note setting out their future together: “Kate and I will be married in a year/We will be engaged and together forever 444.” (444 is considered an angel number, a sign that the angels are with you, in numerology.)

The full list of those attending the wake is not known for certain, but there were undoubtedly several of the “great and good” of the music industry, as well as some of Liam’s bandmates from One Direction.

Many of these reunions are notable for their divisions and cliques, of course, and it seems possible that the rift dividing One Direction, 14 years after they got together on X Factor, may still not have healed.

When Harry Styles ‘ black limousine   arrived at the church (in typical no-nonsense Harry style, he was the first to arrive), onlookers expected to see the other members of One Direction get out alongside him.

After all, in their prime they referred to each other as “brothers.” Only those five boys could understand the magnitude of their overnight fame and how it changed their lives completely.

However, Harry wasn’t with his bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik or Louis Tomlinson, but with actor-turned-talk show host   James Corden   and his friend, TV producer Ben Winston.

The trio are very close. Harry lived in Winston’s loft while his Hampstead home was being renovated in 2013 and spent much of his free time with Corden.

Arriving at Liam’s funeral separately was an illustration of how far apart the bandmates have become since their reign as the world’s most successful boy band, when they introduced themselves as “best friends.”

After Harry, Niall was next to arrive with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley, then Zayn and then Louis. Outside the church, only Zayn and Louis were seen sharing a moment together before Zayn left alone shortly after.

“Of course, everyone wanted to be there, they shared a lot with Liam,” said a source. “But that doesn’t mean they are best friends. They haven’t worked together for almost ten years; they have grown apart.”

Liam pictured with his beloved son Bear, now seven years old.

His bandmate Louis Tomlinson was said to be especially close to Liam, having had his own problems in recent years.

Liam’s friends and family gathered in a circular marquee in the back garden of his Buckinghamshire mansion for his funeral.

‘In fact, the last time they got together was because Simon Cowell insisted they do so after Louis’ mother died, and that was eight years ago.

“But it was very revealing to see Harry arrive with his super famous friend James instead of the other band members. It kind of told you what you needed to know about how the boys grew apart.”

I’m told there’s very little contact between Harry and the others, and it’s a similar story for Niall, although he was the last of the band members to see Liam before he died.

In fact, Liam was in Buenos Aires to see the Irish heartthrob in concert, and afterwards had what I’m told was a “quick and fleeting” encounter with him.

It is surely distressing for all involved that one of the first times the band got together in years was in the hours after Liam’s death on October 16, to agree on the most poignant words to pay tribute to him.

In a statement signed ‘Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry’, they wrote: ‘We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.

‘In time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved deeply. 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 along with us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.’

To the outside world, it seemed like little had changed since their days touring the globe as the biggest boy band since the Beatles.

In fact, those closest to Liam in the end were Louis and Zayn, who have had their own problems in recent years.

Louis has had a tough time following the death of his mother Johannah Deakin in 2016, and his younger sister Felicite, who suffered an accidental overdose of cocaine, an anti-anxiety drug and painkillers when she was just 18, four years later. Meanwhile, Zayn was dropped by his record label RCA due to his alleged cannabis use in 2021.

Floral tributes for the former One Direction star were seen outside St Mary’s Church on the day of his funeral earlier this week.

Simon Cowell attended with his partner Lauren Silverman. He was seen hugging Liam’s father Geoff, but was not seen publicly with any of the One Direction members and it is not known if he attended the wake.

Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts also attended the funeral.

“Louis and Zayn have been a huge support to Liam over the last few years,” a source said. “They are distraught.”

Liam’s funeral was undoubtedly star-studded, with a strong X Factor theme. Creator Simon Cowell attended with his partner   Lauren Silverman  . He was seen hugging Liam’s father Geoff, but was not seen publicly with any of the One Direction members and it is not known if he attended the wake.

It also gave a potential glimpse into the downfall of another pop band: Girls Aloud. Nicola Roberts and   Kimberley Walsh were present  , but notably absent was Nadine Coyle, despite the band reuniting earlier this year to pay tribute to their fifth member, Sarah Harding, who died of breast cancer in 2021. Throughout this year’s UK and Ireland tour, fans assumed that Cheryl and Nadine, who were at war for several years, had now reconciled.

In 2014, Nadine said she was “blindsided” by the decision to split up Girls Aloud and accused others of “conspiring” behind her back.

She claimed the rest of the band decided to end the group without consulting her, adding that they told her minutes before going on stage for the final performance of Ten: The Hits Tour. “I didn’t want the band to end, it was that simple,” she said.

Cheryl responded by calling Nadine “full of shit” and accusing her of holding the band “for ransom.”

Meanwhile, Nicola and Kimberley have been Cheryl’s most loyal friends for two decades, accompanying her to Thailand, for example, when her ex-husband Ashley Cole was caught cheating on her with a hairdresser called Aimee Walton in 2008.

I’m told Bear and Kimberley’s children, aged seven, four and three, are very close, while Nicola has an immense affection for the little one.

As for Cheryl, although she and Liam split after months of fighting in 2018, his death will now always be a part of her life.

When she found out she was pregnant with Bear, her dream came true, friends of the star said. She had long wanted to be a mother — a young mother, in fact — and imagined having several children with Ashley. In the mid-2000s, when Cheryl was in her early 20s, she confessed to me that she wanted to be a young mother and that she wanted “lots of kids.”

Now, however, it’s just her and Bear. “Cheryl always dreamed of having the perfect family, but she had to face the most terrible tragedy,” said a friend of the beautiful Geordie.

“But she is strong and if there is anyone who can overcome this, it is her.”

“Louis and Zayn have been a huge support to Liam over the last few years,” a source said. “They are distraught.”

Liam’s funeral was undoubtedly star-studded, with a strong X Factor theme. Creator Simon Cowell attended with his partner   Lauren Silverman  . He was seen hugging Liam’s father Geoff, but was not seen publicly with any of the One Direction members and it is not known if he attended the wake.

It also gave a potential glimpse into the downfall of another pop band: Girls Aloud. Nicola Roberts and   Kimberley Walsh were present  , but notably absent was Nadine Coyle, despite the band reuniting earlier this year to pay tribute to their fifth member, Sarah Harding, who died of breast cancer in 2021. Throughout this year’s UK and Ireland tour, fans assumed that Cheryl and Nadine, who were at war for several years, had now reconciled.

In 2014, Nadine said she was “blindsided” by the decision to split up Girls Aloud and accused others of “conspiring” behind her back.

She claimed the rest of the band decided to end the group without consulting her, adding that they told her minutes before going on stage for the final performance of Ten: The Hits Tour. “I didn’t want the band to end, it was that simple,” she said.

Cheryl responded by calling Nadine “full of shit” and accusing her of holding the band “for ransom.”

Meanwhile, Nicola and Kimberley have been Cheryl’s most loyal friends for two decades, accompanying her to Thailand, for example, when her ex-husband Ashley Cole was caught cheating on her with a hairdresser called Aimee Walton in 2008.

I’m told Bear and Kimberley’s children, aged seven, four and three, are very close, while Nicola has an immense affection for the little one.

As for Cheryl, although she and Liam split after months of fighting in 2018, his death will now always be a part of her life.

When she found out she was pregnant with Bear, her dream came true, friends of the star said. She had long wanted to be a mother — a young mother, in fact — and imagined having several children with Ashley. In the mid-2000s, when Cheryl was in her early 20s, she confessed to me that she wanted to be a young mother and that she wanted “lots of kids.”

Now, however, it’s just her and Bear. “Cheryl always dreamed of having the perfect family, but she had to face the most terrible tragedy,” said a friend of the beautiful Geordie.

“But she is strong and if there is anyone who can overcome this, it is her.”

Over the past five weeks, she has been a huge support to Liam’s parents, Geoff and Karen, and sisters, Nicola and Ruth, as they begin to come to terms with the devastating loss of Liam, who fell from a third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel last month.

The funeral was undoubtedly one of the toughest days they had to endure in their lives. And I am told that it was Cheryl who played a key role in bringing everyone together in this very personal and meaningful place after the service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

Kate Cassidy , Liam’s girlfriend whom he had been dating since October 2022, is   also believed to have been present at the wake. Earlier, the American influencer arrived at the funeral with Damian Hurley  , the model son of actress   Elizabeth Hurley  . The pair have reportedly formed a strong bond after becoming friends through social media.

This is believed to have been the first time Kate met Liam’s parents, although the meeting would surely have been imminent had he lived.

Following his death, Kate revealed that they had plans to marry. She told her social media followers that he had written her a note setting out their future together: “Kate and I will be married in a year/We will be engaged and together forever 444.” (444 is considered an angel number, a sign that the angels are with you, in numerology.)

The full list of those attending the wake is not known for certain, but there were undoubtedly several of the “great and good” of the music industry, as well as some of Liam’s bandmates from One Direction.

Many of these reunions are notable for their divisions and cliques, of course, and it seems possible that the rift dividing One Direction, 14 years after they got together on X Factor, may still not have healed.

When Harry Styles ‘ black limousine   arrived at the church (in typical no-nonsense Harry style, he was the first to arrive), onlookers expected to see the other members of One Direction get out alongside him.

After all, in their prime they referred to each other as “brothers.” Only those five boys could understand the magnitude of their overnight fame and how it changed their lives completely.

However, Harry wasn’t with his bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik or Louis Tomlinson, but with actor-turned-talk show host   James Corden   and his friend, TV producer Ben Winston.

The trio are very close. Harry lived in Winston’s loft while his Hampstead home was being renovated in 2013 and spent much of his free time with Corden.

Arriving at Liam’s funeral separately was an illustration of how far apart the bandmates have become since their reign as the world’s most successful boy band, when they introduced themselves as “best friends.”

After Harry, Niall was next to arrive with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley, then Zayn and then Louis. Outside the church, only Zayn and Louis were seen sharing a moment together before Zayn left alone shortly after.

“Of course, everyone wanted to be there, they shared a lot with Liam,” said a source. “But that doesn’t mean they are best friends. They haven’t worked together for almost ten years; they have grown apart.”

Liam pictured with his beloved son Bear, now seven years old.

His bandmate Louis Tomlinson was said to be especially close to Liam, having had his own problems in recent years.

Liam’s friends and family gathered in a circular marquee in the back garden of his Buckinghamshire mansion for his funeral.

‘In fact, the last time they got together was because Simon Cowell insisted they do so after Louis’ mother died, and that was eight years ago.

“But it was very revealing to see Harry arrive with his super famous friend James instead of the other band members. It kind of told you what you needed to know about how the boys grew apart.”

I’m told there’s very little contact between Harry and the others, and it’s a similar story for Niall, although he was the last of the band members to see Liam before he died.

In fact, Liam was in Buenos Aires to see the Irish heartthrob in concert, and afterwards had what I’m told was a “quick and fleeting” encounter with him.

It is surely distressing for all involved that one of the first times the band got together in years was in the hours after Liam’s death on October 16, to agree on the most poignant words to pay tribute to him.

In a statement signed ‘Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry’, they wrote: ‘We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.

‘In time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved deeply. 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 along with us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.’

To the outside world, it seemed like little had changed since their days touring the globe as the biggest boy band since the Beatles.

In fact, those closest to Liam in the end were Louis and Zayn, who have had their own problems in recent years.

Louis has had a tough time following the death of his mother Johannah Deakin in 2016, and his younger sister Felicite, who suffered an accidental overdose of cocaine, an anti-anxiety drug and painkillers when she was just 18, four years later. Meanwhile, Zayn was dropped by his record label RCA due to his alleged cannabis use in 2021.

Floral tributes for the former One Direction star were seen outside St Mary’s Church on the day of his funeral earlier this week.

Simon Cowell attended with his partner Lauren Silverman. He was seen hugging Liam’s father Geoff, but was not seen publicly with any of the One Direction members and it is not known if he attended the wake.

Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts also attended the funeral.