The Queen's Baton Relay for the 2022 Commonwealth Games covered 90,000 miles and visited 72 Commonwealth nations and territories from Birmingham Airport. The journey began at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021 and ended in Birmingham during the opening ceremony on 28 July 2022.[1]
This relay marked the last time under Queen Elizabeth II prior to her death on 8 September 2022.
The Relay was organised by the Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, a private company based at One Brindleyplace.[2] The 14-strong board of directors includes Dame Louise Martin, Ellie Simmonds, OBE, Nick Timothy and Ama Agbeze, MBE.[3]
Designed and manufactured in the West Midlands by a collaborative team including Technologist Karen Newman of Birmingham Open Media (BOM), Designers and Engineers Kelly Raymont-Osman and Tom Osman of Raymont-Osman Product Design, artist Laura Nyahuye of Maokwo, and Engineer and Modelmaker Karl Hamlin of Kajul Ltd, the baton features a platinum strand along its length to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2022.[4][1] Made using the traditional method of lost-wax casting, apart from the platinum the baton has purposely been made from non-precious metals and alloys: copper, aluminium and brass to represent the gold, silver and bronze medals awarded at the games. It includes a camera, a heart-rate monitor, an atmospheric sensor and lights that change each time the baton is passed from person to person.[5] [6]
The route of the Queen's baton relay took in all Commonwealth countries and territories during a 294-day schedule.[7][8]
The baton is due to travel around London from 2–6 June 2022 and the rest of England during July.[77]
Paul Darke, a Wolverhampton artist and disability rights campaigner[86]