Liam Payne’s funeral arrangements are nearing completion; His body is expected to soon be repatriated ahead of a large-scale service to be announced imminently, MailOnline has learned.
Investigators probing his “unexplained” death in Buenos Aires are expected to hand Liam’s body to his heartbroken father Geoff this week and British consulate officials have made plans for repatriation.
Once the 31-year-old star’s body returns to the UK from the Argentine capital, this is expected to be followed by the announcement of a lavish funeral which will be attended by hundreds of mourners.
“Liam’s body is expected to be flown home any day now,” a close friend of the former One Direction star told MailOnline. “Arrangements have already been made and once his body returns to Britain, the next step will be to announce the funeral plan.
A lavish memorial service is expected to take place a few days after the repatriation.
A close friend told MailOnline: ‘Liam will have a big send-off, most likely in a big cathedral somewhere close to his heart.
Liam Payne (pictured) died last month after the pop star fell from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires.
Payne was on holiday in South America with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy (pictured left) when the tragic fall occurred.
Liam Payne’s last Snapchat post before falling to his death from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires
Payne said he was “happy to have some time off” less than an hour before he fell to his death.
Liam Payne in the lobby of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires minutes before his death
Liam Payne shakes hands with a woman in the lobby of a Buenos Aires hotel minutes before his death
Fans mourned the loss of Liam Payne at a memorial service with flowers, candles, photographs and handwritten notes in Washington Square Park.
“Liam was so loved by so many people that obviously there will be a huge demand, so the service will necessarily be a huge deal.”
“The details are still under wraps until they are finally approved, but they should be announced very soon.”
Thousands more supporters than can be accommodated are expected to gather outside the venue to celebrate the life of the much-loved star.
The former One Direction singer died after falling from the third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel last month.
Two days after his death, Liam’s body was moved to the British cemetery in the Argentine capital while investigations into the circumstances of his death began.
An autopsy performed after his death determined that the cause of death of the 31-year-old man
Death on October 16 was due to head injuries sustained during the fall.
Reports from the Argentine press claim that the necessary procedures have already been carried out so that the singer’s body can return home.
Liam Payne fans lit candles next to the hotel where he died in Buenos Aires
Forensic police arrive at the hotel where Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires
A source close to the family said: “Liam was so loved by so many people that obviously there will be huge demand and so the service will necessarily be a huge deal.”
Change.org petition for a Permanent Memorial in Wolverhampton to the late Liam Payne
Flowers, photographs and candles are displayed in honor of Liam Payne during a memorial gathering at Plaza de Santa Ana on October 20, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
The Argentine press assures that the necessary procedures have already been carried out so that the singer’s body can return home.
Liam Payne fans gather to pay their respects on the esplanade of the Monterrey macroplaza, on October 2
The former One Direction singer died after falling from the third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel last month.
Liam rose to fame with the band One Direction. He is pictured with his bandmates (left-right) Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
Nicole Scherzinger was just one of the celebrities to pay tribute to the star, texting Liam Payne hours before his death after becoming his ‘mentor’.
Moving floral tributes were left outside the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital following the death of the former One Direction star
Geoff Payne was initially warned by investigators upon arrival in Buenos Aires that it would take up to 15 days before all examinations were completed.
Last week, local police raided the Casa Sur Hotel where the fall occurred as they followed up on allegations that staff had sold drugs to Liam in the hours before his death.
Prosecutors have since explored the theory that Liam was in “a state of semi- or complete unconsciousness” during an apparently drug-fueled episode on the morning of his death.
Liam had been in Argentina with his long-term girlfriend Kate Cassidy, and the influencer shared in a touching online tribute to her boyfriend that they had planned to get married next year.
Kate had left the couple’s vacation to return to the United States two days before Liam’s death.