King Charles Unveils Historic First LGBT Military Memorial in UK to Honor Service Members

King Charles is scheduled to place flowers at the National Memorial Arboretum as part of this historic ceremony. (File)

London:

On Monday, King Charles will inaugurate a memorial honoring lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender military personnel, marking his first official event supporting the LGBT community.

The government-funded memorial, called "Open Letter," aims to honor current service members and commemorate veterans affected by the British military's LGBT ban, which remained in place until 2000—33 years after partial decriminalization of male homosexuality in England and Wales.

Designed as a bronze sculpture, the memorial appears as a crumpled free-standing letter containing text from personal messages that were previously used as evidence against LGBT individuals in the military.

King Charles, who serves as commander-in-chief of the British armed forces, will visit the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for the unveiling ceremony.

Brigadier Claire Phillips, a lesbian officer who joined the army in 1995 when openly gay service was prohibited, expressed how deeply the memorial's design resonates with her, describing it as "such an amazing way of representing people who are so incredibly damaged by the ban."

"This design uses the words of our veterans and service personnel to describe how it felt to be subject to the ban... to begin that process of reconciliation," she told Sky News. "I'm just deeply, deeply honoured to be here today."

Sergeant Alastair Smith, who joined the army as a gay man in 1998, shared with Sky News that while changing attitudes in the military took time, he experienced prejudice in civilian life rather than within the army.

"There are people from the LGBT community who have that gusto, that determination and that drive to perform for their country despite whatever insurmountable odds they may face elsewhere," he stated.

The memorial's unveiling follows recommendations from an independent investigation commissioned by the British government, which documented systematic abuse of LGBT service members, including sexual assault and wrongful dismissals.

In response, the government has implemented a financial redress program offering up to £70,000 ($93,947) to those affected by these policies.