The Queen’s Baton Relay began on the 7th October 2021 at Buckingham Palace and will end in Birmingham on the 28th July 2022 for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The baton is due to travel to London from the 2nd to the 5th June to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations for the Queen.
The baton is currently on a 294-day long journey across the Commonwealth, visiting all 72 nations and territories. The Queen placed a written message inside of the baton before leaving London, and according to The Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, this journey “will ignite hope, solidarity and collaboration, as it connects communities, embraces unique cultures and shares inspirational stories”.
Designed and manufactured by a collaborative team in the West Midlands including Zimbabwe-born artist Laura Nyahuye, the baton includes a 360-degree camera, a heart-rate monitor for the carriers, an atmospheric sensor to record each country’s air quality, and LED lights which change when it is passed to the next baton-bearer. It also features a platinum strand along its length in commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.
While on this incredible 90,000 mile journey, the baton has already visited some beautiful and tropical locations; spending Christmas Eve in Seychelles, the New Year in the Maldives, and the Easter break in Jamaica. The baton is due to travel to London for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. It will then resume the international journey, travel around Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, and then return back to England on the 4th July for a 25-day tour.
The full route around England includes the following locations:
South West England between 4th and 5th July
South East England between 6th and 7th July
East of England between 8th and 9th July
East Midlands between 10th and 11th July
Yorkshire and The Humber between 12th and 13th July
North East England between 14th and 15th July
North West England between 16th and 17th July
West Midlands between 18th and 28th July
We have a beautifully crafted series of sovereign coins celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee which you can purchase HERE.
