<!-- Deleted image removed: -->The Queen's Baton Relay
, similar to the Olympic Torch
Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games
. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth
, currently Queen Elizabeth II
. The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace
as a part of the city's Commonwealth Day
festivities. The Queen entrusts the baton to the first relay runner. At the Opening Ceremony of the Games, the final relay runner hands the baton back to the Queen or her representative, who reads the message aloud to officially open the Games.
The Relay was introduced at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
. Up until, and including, the 1994 Games
, the Relay only went through England
and the host nation. The Relay for the 1998 Games
in Kuala Lumpur
was the first to travel to other nations of the Commonwealth. The 2002 Commonwealth Games
Relay covered over 100,000 kilometres and went through 23 nations.
For the 1990 Commonwealth Games
, the baton was a two-piece affair. Each piece went on its own individual relay run in the North and South Islands of New Zealand, only being joined back together in the final week before the Games began.
For the 1994 Commonwealth Games
, the Baton was fashioned from sterling silver and was engraved with... Read More