The Delhi 2010 Queen’s Baton Relay
The Queen’s Baton Relay commenced from Buckingham Palace, London
on 29 October 2009. The baton travelled internationally through 70
Commonwealth Nations - more than 170,000 km in 240 days. Over its
100 day domestic sector, the baton visited the capital of each of
India’s 28 states and seven union territories, plus many other
cities, covering more than 20,000 km. By the end of its journey,
the baton had traversed over 190,000 km in 340 days, making the
Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi one of the longest relays in the
history of the Commonwealth Games. The relay concluded during the
Games Opening Ceremony on 3 October 2010 where the baton was
received by H.R.H. Prince Charles (as the Queen’s Representative)
from the final batonbearer Vijender Singh (Boxer). H.R.H. took
H.M’s message from the baton and read it aloud, officially
declaring the games open.
The Queen’s Baton
The shape and design of the baton was created using a triangular
section of aluminium twisted in the form of a helix and coated with
soil in a graduating pattern. The baton’s colour scheme was
representative of India’s diversity as it showcased soil samples
collected from every region in India - a rich palette ranging from
white sands to yellow clay, deep reds to dark browns and an array
of other hues that created a very distinctive design, form and
texture. The baton was a combination of handcrafted excellence and
precision engineering, a true symbol of India: its ancient roots
and present vibrant, modern identity..
The baton was 664 mm high, 34 mm wide at the base and 86 mm wide
at the top. It weighed 1.9kg.
The baton’s technological features included:
• Light emitting diodes (LEDs) which changed into the colours of
each nations flag whilst in that nation;
• Photo camera;
• Sound recorder;
• Global Positioning System (GPS) technology through which the
exact location of the baton could be tracked on the games
website;
• SMS text capability so that the baton could receive messages of
congratulations and encouragement to the batonbearers throughout
the relay.