Today, Saturday 18th June 2022, the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay starts its journey through Scotland, reaching the 69th destination out of the 72 Commonwealth nations and territories it will be visiting.
The Queen’s Baton, which carries a message from Her Majesty The Queen, arrived from Isle of Man as part of its journey to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in England from 28 July until 8 August 2022.
The Queen’s Baton is in Scotland for 5 days and during it’s time here, it will be carried by Batonbearers, including current and legacy athletes, and will visit schools, clubs and events in Inverness, Arran, Cumnock, Glasgow, Bo’ness, Edinburgh, the Borders and Dumfries across five days of activity.
Paul Bush OBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “It is fantastic to have the Baton arrive in Scotland today. Its arrival signifies an exciting moment in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and I’m really looking forward to the various visits and activities during its time here.”
Since its inaugural appearance at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay has been a tradition for the Commonwealth Games.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay started at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when Her Majesty The Queen placed her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist and Team England athlete Kadeena Cox, who had the honour of being the first of thousands of Batonbearers to carry the Baton through the Commonwealth.
The 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay is an epic journey covering the entirety of the Commonwealth as it will travel to all 72 nations and territories, covering a distance of 140,000 kilometres. For 269 days, the Baton will travel to Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas, before it embarks on the final stretch of its journey across England for 25 days.
The Queen’s Baton Relay will complete its journey at the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on 28 July 2022. This is a traditional and fundamental part of the Games and the Opening Ceremony, as the final Batonbearer will pass the Baton back to The Queen. The Queen’s message to the Commonwealth will then be removed from the Baton and read aloud, marking the official start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
For further information about the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay visit: www.birmingham2022.com/qbr
