Glasgow 2014: Baton touches down in Britain

The Queen’s Baton, heralding the final countdown to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, has touched down in Britain.

Tom Daley and Team Jersey shot-putter Zane Duquemin with the baton. Picture: PA

The flight carrying the hand-crafted baton, containing a personal message from the Queen which will be a key part of the opening ceremony on 23 July, arrived at Jersey airport just before 4pm yesterday.

It has been taken on an epic tour of the Commonwealth since the relay began at Buckingham Palace in October. The Queen’s message calls the athletes of the Commonwealth to Glasgow for the start of the Games. The arrival marks the start of the home nations’ leg of the baton’s 288-day international journey towards the start of the Games.

Unlike the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays where the flame was passed through hundreds of torches, there is just one baton for the Commonwealth Games.

This means that up to 4,000 people will have carried the Queen’s message before it is read out to the world.

For the next 32 days, it will travel through Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Wales and England, rallying athletes.

A 40-day journey through 400 communities across Scotland will begin on 14 June.