King Charles III UK’s LGBT Armed Forces Memorial

By Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS – LGBT News Europe

LONDON — (October 27, 2025) — In a landmark moment for equality and remembrance, King Charles III unveiled the United Kingdom’s first-ever memorial dedicated to LGBT military personnel on Monday at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

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The bronze monument, titled “An Opened Letter,” honors lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who served or continue to serve in the British Armed Forces, and commemorates those persecuted under decades of discriminatory policies that ended only in 2000. ¹

Symbolism of the Memorial

The sculpture takes the form of a crumpled, free-standing letter, representing the torn communications that once exposed LGBT personnel.
Embedded within its folds are excerpts from genuine correspondence used as “evidence” to discharge or disgrace queer service members.
Designed as a message to future generations, An Opened Letter serves both as an apology and a pledge never to return to those dark times. ²

A Royal Moment of Acknowledgment

For King Charles, the unveiling marked his first official public engagement in direct support of the LGBT community.

“For hundreds of LGBT veterans, their experiences were catastrophic — their lives and careers shattered,”
— Brigadier Clare Phillips, a 30-year British Army veteran, told the 300 attendees.

Phillips added that the memorial “reminds us we stand on the shoulders of giants — those who fought discrimination so we can serve openly and proudly.” ³

Watch King Charles Honors LGBT+ Veterans – (The Mirror)

Honoring Service and Redress

Thousands of LGBT soldiers and officers were investigated, discharged, or forced out of the military between the 1950s and the lifting of the ban in 2000 — decades after male homosexuality was partially decriminalized in England and Wales. ⁴

A recent independent government inquiry found systemic abuse and harassment within the forces during those years, prompting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration to approve financial redress of up to £70,000 (≈ US $93,900) per person for affected veterans. ⁵

Voices of Those Who Served

Former Army Sergeant Alastair Smith, who enlisted in 1998, spoke to Sky News about the shift in attitudes since the ban’s repeal.

“There are people from the LGBT community who have that drive to perform for their country despite whatever odds they face elsewhere.” ⁶

A Turning Point for British History

The installation of An Opened Letter is widely regarded as a historic turning point — not only for LGBT veterans but for the cultural identity of the British Armed Forces. It symbolizes a nation’s acknowledgment of past injustice and its commitment to inclusion under the reign of King Charles III.

Footnotes

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