Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmates were among the mourners at his funeral in the UK on Wednesday.
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson all came together for the first time in almost nine years to pay tribute to the late singer.
Former boy band members joined Payne’s closest friends and family outside of London because he was buried a month after his fatal fall.
Styles was the first to arrive as he was photographed with his head bowed while surrounded by other mourners. Shortly after, Tomlinson also entered. Malik and Horan were seen moments later.
The four remaining members of One Direction all arrived separately.
The “Polaroid” singer rose to fame in 2010 after auditioning for “X Factor” as a solo artist, but was placed in a group alongside Styles, 30, Horan, 31, Malik, 31 , and Tomlinson, 32.
One Direction quickly became one of the biggest boy bands of all time, releasing five albums before their split in 2016 – a year after Malik’s departure.
The five were never seen publicly together after their breakup.
Payne died last month after falling from a third-floor balcony while on vacation in Argentina. He was 31 years old.
Following the tragedy, each former member of the boy band shared their tributes to Payne on their personal Instagram accounts and on the group’s official page.
“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they said in the rare statement.
“As time goes on, and when everyone is capable, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” they continued. “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.
Payne’s father, Geoff, traveled to Argentina after the tragic accident to help authorities and recover his son’s body. They finally returned home to England earlier this month.
Prosecutors recently revealed that the “Strip That Down” singer’s death would not be ruled a suicide and concluded that he was likely unconscious when he fell over the balcony railing.
His autopsy report showed there were traces of cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs in his system at the time of the fall.
One of his friends, a hotel employee and a suspected drug dealer have all been charged in connection with his death.
The friend, believed to be his manager, was accused of abandonment for failing to inform the late singer’s family that he had suffered a drug-related relapse, La Nación reported. He faces five to 15 years in prison, according to the media.
The CasaSur Palermo hotel employee and alleged drug dealer allegedly supplied Payne with narcotics – something the hotel employee denied.
