King Charles unveiled a memorial dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel on Monday (October 27), marking his first official engagement in support of the LGBT community.

The government-funded "Open Letter" memorial is designed to honour those currently serving and commemorate veterans affected by the British military's ban on LGBT officers, which was lifted in 2000, 33 years after male homosexuality was partially decriminalised in England and Wales.

A bronze sculpture, it resembles a crumpled free-standing letter containing words from personal messages that were used as evidence to incriminate individuals.

Wearing a dark suit adorned with military medals and a ceremonial pendant, Charles, the commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, laid flowers at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The unveiling of the memorial follows recommendations from an independent investigation commissioned by the British government, which reported systemic abuse, including sexual assault and dismissal of LGBT service members.

The government has offered financial redress of up to 70,000 pounds ($93,947) to those impacted.

The king also visited Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, where crowds gathered before and after the visit.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

REFILE: King Charles unveils UK's first LGBT armed forces memorial

VIDEO SHOWS: BRITAIN'S KING CHARLES UNVEILING A MEMORIAL DEDICATED TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER MILITARY PERSONNEL / CHARLES SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE AT LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: REFILING SCRIPT TO CLARIFY THAT LICHFIELD IS IN STAFFORDSHIRE; LOCATIONS IN VIDEO ARE LICHFIELD AND ALREWAS, STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: ALREWAS, STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 27, 2025) (ROYAL POOL - No use UK)

1. BRITAIN'S KING CHARLES ARRIVING TO NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM

2. CHARLES STANDING DURING CEREMONY

3. CHARLES LAYING FLOWER AT MEMORIAL DEDICATED TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER MILITARY PERSONNEL

4. CHARLES LOOKING ON

5. MEMORIAL

6. VARIOUS OF CEREMONY IN PROGRESS

7. VARIOUS OF CHARLES SPEAKING WITH PERSONNEL

LICHFIELD, STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 27, 2025) (ROYAL POOL - No use UK)

8. CHARLES ARRIVING TO CROWD GATHERED OUTSIDE LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL

9. CHARLES SHAKING HANDS WITH MEMBERS OF THE CROWD

10. CHARLES WAVING TO CROWD

11. CHARLES INSIDE CATHEDRAL

12. INTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL

13. INTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL / FENLAND BLACK OAK TABLE

14. VARIOUS OF CHARLES SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE, LOOKING AT ITEMS ON TABLE

15. VARIOUS OF CHARLES SPEAKING TO PEOPLE INSIDE CATHEDRAL

16. VARIOUS OF PERSON SHOWING CHARLES BOOKS ON TABLE