The Queen’s Baton Relay

The Queen’s Baton relay began in Wales in

1958 when Cardiff hosted the Commonwealth
Games. The Baton was decorated in the
middle with an enamelled dragon in red
surrounded by two leeks and a crown, also
engraved decoration of daffodils and leeks
forming a chain motif.

It is now a Games tradition and celebrates the Commonwealth’s diversity, highlighting

sport’s ability to join people of all races, genders and age.

The Baton carries a message from the Queen herself and the relay starts at
Buckingham Palace. The Baton travels the world until it reaches the city of the Games
ready for the Opening Ceremony. Here, the Queen or her representative reads the
message aloud signifying the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. There is a new
Baton at every Commonwealth Games. This Baton gets designed by the country
hosting the Games.

The Queen’s message in the 1958 Baton wished the athletes a successful competition.
A relay of runners carried the Baton from Buckingham Palace to Cardiff before the
Games began.
Melbourne hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games and it was the
first time that the baton visited every nation in the Commonwealth
before reaching Australia for the Opening Ceremony.

The 2014 Queen's Baton Relay began its 190,000 km journey on

October 9th, 2013. The baton travelled via 70 nations and
territories over 288 days before opening the games on July 23rd,
2014 in Glasgow. The baton was then passed to the Queen who
delivered her message and declared the games open.

 For the 2018 Commonwealth Games in

Gold Coast in Australia, the Relay
proved to be a magnificent odyssey
over 388 days. More than 8,000
bearers carried the baton and it
travelled over 230,000 kilometres.

Birmingham will stage the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay in 2022 – an epic journey
across the Commonwealth, with The Queen’s Baton visiting all 72 nations and
territories, reaching Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas.
The Relay will begin in October 2021. As always, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will
place her message in the Baton.
The Baton will then travel for 294 days, connecting communities in every corner of the
Commonwealth. The Relay will end in Birmingham on July 28th 2022, with the
Opening Ceremony of the Games.