Liam Payne's royal links from Kate Middleton and Prince William to late Queen Elizabeth

Liam Payne tragically passed away on Wednesday at the age of 31, but his life and legacy touched many fans around the world - including numerous royals who he had met over the years

As the world continues to mourn the loss of former One Direction idol Liam Payne, devastated fans have been sharing memories of the late singer while reflecting on his legacy in the hours since his death. Liam tragically lost his life at the age of 31, on Wednesday October 16 when he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he had been holidaying with his girlfriend.

Yet in the wake of his loss and the outpouring of grief that has followed, there have been several heartwarming memories and anecdotes shared too, that paint a vibrant picture of the life the singer lived in the spotlight - including several times he brushed shoulders with royalty throughout his music career.

Among the standout memories include the time Liam, alongside his fellow One Direction bandmates met Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Royal Variety Performance on Nov. 13, 2014.

Kate, who was pregnant with her second child Princess Charlotte at the time, attracted the attention of the teen singers, and Liam’s bandmate Harry Style even told her “congratulations on the bump … [though] she didn’t look bumpy,” recalls Newsweek.

The following year in 2015, One Direction once again rubbed shoulders with senior members of the royal family, when the group met Prince Harry on November 13, the same day One Direction’s final album Made in the A.M. was released.

According to PEOPLE, the prince enjoyed an animated exchange with Harry Styles and jokingly asked him “When was the last time you had a hair cut?” Afterwards, Styles clarified that “at some point I’ll be cutting it [his hair] for charity.”

Capturing the exchange on camera, Liam could be seen smiling as he listened intently to the conversation himself, clearly unfazed and not remotely nervous about interacting with a member of the royal family for a second time.

Interestingly, the same couldn’t quite be said for Liam’s brush with the late Queen Elizabeth two years later in 2017, when he attended a Queen’s Young Leaders reception at Buckingham Palace for young leaders who had strived to make a difference in their local communities.

Attending the event without his bandmates for a change, the solo singer once again met Prince Harry, but it was the Queen herself who seemed to have left Liam awestruck, as he later took to social media to tell the world about his meeting with her.

“An absolute honour to meet the Queen today on such a fantastic occasion. Privileged to share the room with such inspirational @queensyoungleaders, hear their stories and how they are helping to rebuild and preserve a sometimes broken world,” Payne wrote on social media at the time.

Fast forward a year to 2018 and once again Liam was able to meet the Queen, at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 12.

Clearly inspired and appreciative of everything she had accomplished in her enduring reign, Liam was particularly moved by her death in September 2022, and three months after her passing, he shared a 4ft oil painting in tribute to the late monarch that had taken over 50 hours to create, according to the Independent.

Payne tragically died on Wednesday afternoon, after falling several stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Prior to the arrival of emergency services, the hotel receptionist is understood to have called 911 to express concerns over the singer’s erratic behaviour and the belief he may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The receptionist asked for help “urgently” over fears he may be a danger to himself.

He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene after falling from the balcony of his hotel room, with a preliminary autopsy conducted on Thursday October 17 revealing that he had died from multiple injuries and “internal and external” haemorrhages due to the fall.

The prosecutor’s office handling the case says a toxicology report remains pending.