New Memorial Salutes LGBTQ+ Service Members

On Monday 27 October, The Opened Letter was unveiled by King Charles at the National Memorial Arboretum, paying tribute to the military personnel affected by the historic LGBTQ+ ban.

The bronze sculpture, shaped like a crumpled sheet of paper and standing 2.5 metres tall, serves as a striking symbol of love, resilience, and remembrance, bearing dedications to the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force. Inspired by the deeply personal letters once used as evidence to convict, dismiss, or imprison LGBTQ+ service members, The Opened Letter reclaims these messages of love and loyalty. In doing so, it transforms them into a permanent monument to pride, honour, and equality. The words are:

A BATTLE FOR LOVE INCLUSION RESPECT A PLACE TO BELONG A SAFE SPACE TO SHARE TO REFLECT ON THE PAST WITH PROMISE OF CHANGE WITH HOPE AND WITH STRENGTH FOR JUSTICE AND UNDERSTANDING ACCEPTANCE FOR ALL OUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE COURAGE AND RESILIENCE FOR DUTY AND HONOUR TOGETHER WE STAND TALL AND WITH PRIDE WITHOUT FEAR & PAIN REJECTING THE SHAME & REJOICING IN SOLIDARITY RENOUNCING PREJUDICE EMBRACE OUR DIVERSITY & FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY

The team behind the project include lettering artists and carvers Charlotte Howarth and Sue Aperghis; sculptors and carvers Nina Bilbey and Kate Homes, and blacksmiths and fabricators Roger Forrester and James Spedding, in collaboration with Abraxas Academy and Holkham Forge.

The memorial’s unveiling drew national attention, featuring across major news outlets and later spotlighted during the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance on the BBC on 8 November.