And It’s Off! Queen Elizabeth Launches 2018 Commonwealth Games Baton Relay

The 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay was launched this morning at Buckingham Palace by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, who is the head of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Australian para-sport athlete Kurt Fearnley presented the baton to the Queen after bringing it up The Mall, followed by the Band of the Coldstream Guards. Queen Elizabeth – in a bright pink ensemble – then inserted a message she has written to be read out at the opening ceremony, which will be on April 4, 2018 at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, the host city for the Games.

The Queen then passed the baton on to Australian champion cyclist Anna Meares, who  carried the baton out the Palace gates to start the relay alongside her British rival, Victoria Pendleton. The baton will travel across the 70 nations that will be competing in the Games over the coming months, before landing in Australia on Christmas Eve, to continue its final journey around the host nation ahead of the opening ceremony.

Also attending with the Queen were the Duke of Edinburgh and the Earl of Wessex.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Commonwealth Games, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Gold Coast 2018, Queen's Baton Relay, Sport, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Earl of Wessex.