Queen’s Baton Relay: All you need to know about the Queen’s Baton Relay
The Queen's Baton Relay has been a feature of the Commonwealth Games since the 1958 event in Cardiff.
A central part of the sporting spectacle, the tradition sees the Head of the Commonwealth - Queen Elizabeth II - place a message inside a baton. It will then be read out by Her Majesty at the opening ceremony of Glasgow 2014, after the baton travels around the 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.
On Wednesday, the relay for Glasgow 2014 will launch at Buckingham Palace. Sir Chris Hoy, the most successful British Olympian of all time, will join classical music superstar Nicola Benedetti and Olympic gold medallist Allan Wells MBE at the event, which is live on BBC One and BBC News from 10:45 BST.
The BBC will cover the whole journey of the Queen's Baton Relay for the very first time. Presenter Mark Beaumont will follow the trail, and this blog will accompany a monthly documentary and regular television and radio features to highlight all the stories from the baton route.
Check out our guide and some of our articles about the baton and Glasgow 2014 so far.
Queen's Baton Relay Explained
Watch The Queen's Baton Relay launch live from Buckingham Palace at 10:45 BST on Wednesday 9 October 2013 on BBC One and the BBC News channel, also featuring on BBC World TV. Listen to live coverage on BBC 5live.