Baton down the hatches as Queen starts relay for the Gold Coast Games

THE Queen has set the Gold Coast 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay in motion during a commencement ceremony at Buckingham Palace as part of celebrations for Commonwealth Day.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Earl of Wessex, the Queen placed her message to the Commonwealth and its athletes inside the distinctive baton.

With Scots-born Commonwealth Games Federation President Louise Martin present, it was handed over to former cyclist Anna Meares, one of Australia’s stars of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Queen’s Baton will now travel through the Commonwealth for 388 days, covering 143,000 miles to its final destination, the Opening Ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games on April 4 next year.

Australian Paralympic champion Kurt Fearnley delivered the Baton starting from Marlborough House up The Mall and into the Palace Forecourt, accompanied by the Band of the Scots Guards.

Emily Dean, a nine-yearold middle distance runner from Southport, Merseyside, had the role of holding the message for Her Majesty before it was placed into the Baton.

Emily was identified through the Adopt-aCommonwealth Country program, part of Gold Coast 2018 Corporation’s international Schools Connect initiative.

For the first time at a commencement ceremony at Buckingham Palace, representatives of the Traditional Custodians of the land where the Games will be held, the Yugambeh Language Group People, delivered a moving invitation to all First Nations peoples of the Commonwealth to join in the celebrations of the Games on Yugambeh land.

The invitation reaffirmed the Commonwealth’s 2017 theme of a “Peace-building Commonwealth”.

Australian cycling star and Commonwealth and Olympic Games gold medallist Anna Meares was honoured with being the first person to receive the Baton from the Queen after her message was placed safely within.

Peter Beattie, chairman of Gold Coast 2018 Corporation, said: “Today’s ceremony was a moving start to what is going to be an inspiring journey.

“Our mission to share the dream of the Gold Coast 2018 Games with the world is now under way.

Mrs Martin added that the Queen’s message “carried safely inside the Baton, will be in great hands with many thousands of community batonbearers”.

ROYAL HANDOVER: The Queen hands the baton to cyclist Anna Meares so it can start its 143,000-mile journey, while Games President Louise Martin looks on.

START: Anna Meares carries the baton after receiving it from the Queen.

GLORY DAYS: Glasgow won praise for its hosting of the 2014 Games.