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The Queen's Baton is as much a part of the Commonwealth Games tradition as the torch is part of the Olympics. The first Baton was made in 1958 for the Games held in Cardiff, Wales.

For each Games, the host country designs a unique Baton which carries a message from The Queen across the Commonwealth, to be read aloud at the Opening Ceremony, greeting athletes and visitors and officially announcing the start of the competitions.

Traditionally, The Baton begins its journey on Commonwealth Day, leaving England from Buckingham Palace and traveling around the Commonwealth before returning to the host nation.

For the 1994 games, held in Victoria, British Columbia, the Baton was fashioned from sterling silver and was engraved with traditional symbols of the creative artists' families and cultures, including a wolf, a raven and an eagle with a frog in its mouth.

In 1998, the Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Baton design was inspired by a traditional Malay artifact, the 'Gobek', which is a unique cylindrical areca nut-pounder widely used and displayed in Malay homes.

The Baton for Manchester 2002 has special significance as it marks the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen and has been designed to symbolise the uniqueness of the individual and the common rhythm of humanity. You can find out more about the design of the Jubilee Baton by clicking here.