Other prominent speakers, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, paid tribute to Graham as a “force of nature” and “true original”.
Hannity at one point addressed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill her brother’s seat after his death and who sat in one of the front pews on Tuesday, telling her: “You were his life.”
Graham and his sister lost their parents at a young age, with both their mother and father dying within 15 months of each other. Graham later adopted her.
Vice-President JD Vance was among several top Trump administration officials who also attended the service at the Washington National Cathedral.
It hosts many of America’s most prominent funeral services and memorial events. Former President George W Bush spoke here after the 9/11 attacks.
While the cathedral is best known as the site of memorial services for former presidents, Graham is not the only recent sitting senator to be given such an honour.
In 2018, John McCain of Arizona – a close friend of Graham – had his memorial service there.
Graham’s service was a more intimate affair than presidential funerals, which can see the immense building packed to the rafters.
Former President Jimmy Carter’s memorial early last year drew all five living US presidents, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
But the range of attendees at Tuesday’s service reflected Lindsey Graham’s influence in the nation’s capital.
Before the funeral, Zelensky and Netanyahu held separate meetings with Trump, which the White House described as “positive and productive”.
Zelensky and Trump discussed Kyiv’s hope that the US would help bolster its air defences, although no formal commitment has so far been announced.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, told Israeli media following his meeting with the US president that they had “an understanding of a shared goal, to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well”.
