King Charles to attend dedication of UK’s first memorial to LGBTQ+ armed forces personnel
The memorial, funded by the UK Government and delivered by Fighting With Pride, comes from Lord Etherton’s recommendations in the LGBT Veterans Independent Review. (Sky News)
The memorial, funded by the UK Government and delivered by Fighting With Pride, comes from Lord Etherton’s recommendations in the LGBT Veterans Independent Review. (Sky News)
King Charles is set to attend the dedication of the UK’s first memorial to LGBTQ+ servicemen and women.
The monarch, who has never publicly commented on LGBTQ+ rights, will lay flowers at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Monday (27 October), during the unveiling of the monument. After the ceremony, he will meet LGBTQ+ veterans, including those who were affected by past discrimination.
Last year, Fighting With Pride, which campaigned to get justice for members of the armed forces affected by a ban on homosexuality in the military, were awarded a government grant of £350,000 ($467,000) to create the memorial.
Up until 2000, LGBTQ+ people were not allowed to serve in the army, air force or navy. Many veterans were court-martialled or forced to leave without an income or pension. Under the policy, anyone even just thought to be gay or transgender could be subjected to sometimes-brutal interrogation and dismissal.
A spokesperson for the charity said the sculpture represented a “powerful step forward in recognising and honouring the service and sacrifices” of the LGBTQ+ members of the armed forces. A website page dedicated to it says: “This memorial serves as a place of reflection, recognition and remembrance, ensuring that the stories of those who served, and those who suffered, are never forgotten.”
The sculpture has been created with crumpled bronze lettering made up of words taken from evidence from some of those affected by the ban. Royal Navy veteran Sharon Pickering, who was dismissed in 1991, described it as “hugely emotional”.
In anticipation of the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial unveiling, delivering another of Lord Etherton’s @LGBTVetReview recommendations, learn about the memorial’s background, including the meaning behind the powerful design of “an opened letter”: https://t.co/lM2tmaewwi pic.twitter.com/81HYtBLWTG
— Army LGBTQ+ Network (@ArmyLGBT) October 21, 2025
Gwen Pettigrew, who served with the Royal Corps of Signals, said: “It’s something I never thought would happen, a memorial to veterans who were LGBT who were discharged under a heinous rule, in quite an inhumane manner.”
The sculpture celebrated queer people “from time immemorial and for future LGBT people who will be serving in the forces”, she added.
Ground has been broken at the @Nat_Mem_Arb to mark the position of the new LGBT+ memorial.
— Office for Veterans' Affairs (@VeteransGovUK) July 15, 2025
Organised by @fightingwpride the memorial, representing a crumpled letter, uses words taken from evidence collected from former LGBT personnel. It will be unveiled later this year. pic.twitter.com/BqGrnBWoQC
In 2023, then prime minister Rishi Sunak apologised to LGBTQ+ veterans, calling the ban “an appalling failure of the British state”, and promised compensation. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace, and the chiefs of the services, have also said sorry.
Veteran activist Peter Tatchell previously accused the King, who is the head of the armed forces, of being no friend to the LGBTQ+ community. “He’s never been our friend or ally,” he told PinkNews. “On the contrary, he consorts with religious leaders who oppose our human rights.
“He’s a traditionalist with markedly conservative views.”
Last year, Charles and prime minister Keir Starmer were criticised by an LGBTQ+ foundation for hosting a state visit from the emir of Qatar, a country where queer people face persecution.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
