One Direction star Liam Payne’s body will be flown back to the UK soon and his funeral is expected to be taking place next week after his tragic death in Argentina

Liam Payne’s body is set to be flown back to the UK by Monday “at the latest”, with his funeral expected to take place next week. This comes nearly three weeks after the tragic incident where the chart-topping musician fell from his hotel balcony and died instantly.

The late One Direction star has reportedly been moved from a Buenos Aires morgue to the historic British Cemetery in the northern part of the Argentinian capital, following permission granted to his devastated father Geoff by prosecutors. Local media reports suggest that the repatriation will occur tomorrow or Monday – “48 hours maximum” – once the embalming process is complete. Respected Argentinian daily La Nacion reported that Geoff was personally informed in a recent meeting with prosecution chief Andres Madrea that he could return to the UK with Liam’s body two weeks after flying to South America following his son’s fatal three-storey hotel fall.

It stated: “All the documents are ready for the former One Direction singer to return to his homeland so a funeral can take place there next week. When Geoff Payne reached Argentina on October 18 he was told the repatriation process could take between four and five days, but because of the circumstances surrounding his son’s death things took longer than expected.”

Prosecutors are yet to confirm the results of toxicology and tissue tests that Liam’s father was informed would need to be completed before his son could be repatriated. This information was shared during his first meeting with Mr Madrea on October 21.

The tragic death of Liam on October 16 at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel sparked an investigation, which was initially linked to a substance-induced ‘psychotic episode’ with no ‘third-party’ involvement. Just over a week ago, police stormed the boutique hotel where he had been staying to examine computers and paperwork, believed to be part of a search for his drug dealer, reports the Mirror.

Geoff arrived in Argentina two days after the tragic news of his son’s passing and was seen reading heartfelt messages left by fans at a makeshift shrine outside Liam’s hotel. He also visited the suite where the former One Direction star had been staying, after being granted permission to collect his son’s clothes and other personal items that investigators no longer required.

Thousands of heartbroken fans of Liam Payne have started a petition calling for a memorial to be erected in honour of the singer. Liam had been in Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy before she returned to the US a few days prior to his untimely death. His devoted followers are hoping for a permanent “structure or mural” to be established in his hometown of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. The British Aires British Cemetery, which was relocated to its current site in 1892, is home to the war graves of one Royal Navy seaman from World War I and eleven World War II British service personnel.

This update follows the Mirror’s revelation of one of Liam’s final acts of kindness. Just hours before his death, he generously donated a substantial sum to 28 year old Jack, who is battling Stage 4 B Cell Lymphoma. Known for his charitable nature, Liam contributed £2.3k to Jack’s GoFundMe page.

Jack was initially sceptical, unsure if it was merely a “prank” or someone seeking to keep their identity hidden through their generosity. But when news of Liam’s deeds broke following his passing, Jack’s disbelief turned to astonishment. He expressed his gratitude, stating: “I thought it was a prank or someone donating under a false name in the interest of preserving their own anonymity, until reports started coming out about Liam’s acts of kindness during his final days.”

Jack said, as acknowledgements of Liam’s donation to his fundraiser began circulating from credible sources, he felt an overwhelming sense of thanks and fortune. Despite facing personal battles, Liam put others first, as he had since skyrocketing to fame with One Direction. While Liam never hid his charitable streak, Jack shared how heartfelt it was to learn that Liam himself had made the contribution, “It truly warmed my heart knowing he was able to find some sort of peace through the love and support he provided to other people in his final moments.”