:00:15. > :00:19.In 288 days time, athletes from all over the Commonwealth will gather in
:00:19. > :00:23.Glasgow for the start of the 20th Commonwealth games. And the journey
:00:24. > :00:27.to that opening ceremony begins here at Buckingham Palace this morning.
:00:27. > :01:03.Welcome to the Queen's Baton Relay. Good morning from Buckingham Palace,
:01:03. > :01:08.where the final countdown to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
:01:08. > :01:13.is about to get under way. This morning, Her Majesty will launch the
:01:13. > :01:16.Queen's Baton Relay from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, as
:01:17. > :01:22.it starts its extraordinary journey around the world, before arriving
:01:22. > :01:29.back in Scotland next June. It is a journey that will last 288 days, as
:01:29. > :01:34.the baton is carried almost 120,000 miles to every Commonwealth nation
:01:34. > :01:38.and territory in the world -70 in total. And inside that baton will be
:01:38. > :01:44.and territory in the world -70 in a message from the Queen to the
:01:44. > :01:48.Commonwealth. It will be written on parchment, which she will place in
:01:48. > :01:52.the baton this morning. It is a message that will not be read until
:01:52. > :01:58.the opening ceremony of the Games, @ tic part, on the 23rd of July next
:01:58. > :02:03.year, when the final battle in Berrow will return the baton to the
:02:03. > :02:11.Queen. -- the final baton Berra. The journey this morning begins here at
:02:11. > :02:19.St James 's Palace, and at nearby Marlborough house, right next door.
:02:19. > :02:23.In just a few minutes' time, the Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy will
:02:23. > :02:29.be setting off, carrying the empty baton to the Palace, accompanied by
:02:29. > :02:33.the pipes and drums of the first Battalion Scots Guards and the pipes
:02:33. > :02:43.and drums of the first Battalion the Royal Regiment of Wales waiting in
:02:43. > :02:46.the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, almost 200 dignitaries and VIPs who
:02:46. > :02:57.have been invited to watch the launch ceremony this morning. A
:02:57. > :03:00.whole assortment of dignitaries, high commissioners from many of the
:03:00. > :03:04.70 Commonwealth nations and territories, the sports minister for
:03:04. > :03:09.Scotland will be there, the leader of Glasgow City Council. And waiting
:03:09. > :03:18.outside the gates, many of the public, waiting to see that moment
:03:18. > :03:22.of history, when the Queen puts the message to the Commonwealth in the
:03:22. > :03:27.emptied out on this morning. And gathered in the forecourt of
:03:27. > :03:30.Buckingham Palace are schoolchildren, who have been chosen
:03:30. > :03:35.from Glasgow, 25 of them from Glasgow, from a school right next to
:03:35. > :03:41.the velodrome, and also from schools in London. They are carrying a flag
:03:41. > :03:53.representing every nation and territory, 70 in total. And there
:03:54. > :03:56.are many of the dignitaries. The Secretary of State Scotland,
:03:56. > :04:03.Alistair Carmichael, will be there. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, is
:04:03. > :04:07.expected. And many people from the charity Unicef, the partner charity
:04:07. > :04:12.for the 2014 games. And this morning, we will also be in Celtic
:04:12. > :04:17.for the 2014 games. And this Park, which, after all, is where the
:04:17. > :04:21.baton is heading, its final destination, for the opening
:04:21. > :04:26.ceremony, in 288 days time. And what a Games it rises to become with some
:04:26. > :04:31.of the world's top athletes competing against the next
:04:31. > :04:34.generation of stars in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators
:04:34. > :04:41.who will head to Glasgow to see them all in action. Before the Queen's
:04:41. > :04:43.who will head to Glasgow to see them Baton Relay gets under way, let's
:04:43. > :04:52.have a quick look at what is in store next year. It is August 1930,
:04:53. > :04:57.and the Canadian city of Hamilton is the scene of the British Empire
:04:57. > :05:02.games. It was a small affair, just six sports and 11 teams, but it was
:05:02. > :05:05.the start of what is now the third largest multisport event in the
:05:05. > :05:11.world. And next year, it is coming to Scotland. Athletes from 71
:05:11. > :05:16.nations and territories will arrive to Scotland. Athletes from 71
:05:16. > :05:29.in Glasgow, battling for 216 medals in 17 sporting events, including a
:05:29. > :05:39.record 22 parasport events. Many well-known stars will be there. Over
:05:39. > :05:44.ten days, Glasgow will be at the heart of the Games, with events at
:05:44. > :05:48.four major sites in the city. Some events will be staged further
:05:48. > :05:54.afield, including in Edinburgh and Dundee. The triathlon, fittingly,
:05:54. > :05:58.will be held at the Strathclyde Country Park near Hamilton, whose
:05:58. > :06:02.namesake was where it all began, all those years ago. I am joined just
:06:02. > :06:06.outside Buckingham Palace by two people who know all about the
:06:06. > :06:15.Commonwealth, and of course next year's Games. The royal biographer
:06:15. > :06:19.Robert Lacey and the Deputy Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games,
:06:19. > :06:22.Ty Speer. We saw there the humble origins of these Games, they have
:06:22. > :06:28.grown into this huge international event - how important are these
:06:28. > :06:31.Games for the Queen? They are tremendously important for her
:06:31. > :06:37.personally. When future historians look back at the Queen and say, what
:06:37. > :06:41.did this woman do, one of the things they will say is the creation of the
:06:41. > :06:44.British Commonwealth of Nations, this incredible family of former
:06:44. > :06:50.colonies, and some other countries as well, which does not exist
:06:50. > :06:54.anywhere else in the world. France and other imperial countries have
:06:54. > :06:57.their empires, but we retained this fellowship with Australia, Canada
:06:57. > :07:02.and these other countries, and it was very much the work of the Queen,
:07:02. > :07:05.who stuck to it, even when some British prime ministers were not so
:07:05. > :07:10.keen on the Commonwealth. She wanted it and she always saw the importance
:07:10. > :07:14.of the Commonwealth Games. It represents 2 billion citizens, and
:07:14. > :07:18.this message which will be inserted into the baton this morning, it goes
:07:18. > :07:20.through all of the nations and territories, it is an invitation to
:07:20. > :07:25.join the Games... And it is a territories, it is an invitation to
:07:25. > :07:33.wonderful reminder that every country will be covered by the local
:07:33. > :07:36.news programmes, the baton will be carried by ordinary people, as a
:07:36. > :07:42.reminder of how important this British family of nations is. Ty
:07:42. > :07:46.Speer, you are leading the way in 2014, and you were very heavily
:07:46. > :07:48.involved in the London Olympics as well, so do you think there is a
:07:49. > :07:54.momentum shift which will happen from London to Glasgow? Absolutely.
:07:54. > :07:57.We are seeing that already. What we know now then clear is that people
:07:57. > :08:04.are ready for the next major event in the UK, in Glasgow, in 288 days.
:08:04. > :08:06.The momentum is definitely building, and today will be another fantastic
:08:06. > :08:09.The momentum is definitely building, milestone to prove how exciting the
:08:09. > :08:18.event is going to be, and how connected we all will be, through
:08:18. > :08:22.the baton. The Queen's Baton Relay, then, reminiscent of the torch relay
:08:22. > :08:26.last year before the Olympics, but this baton is going to travel a lot
:08:26. > :08:30.further, and it will be carried by a lot more people, on its epic journey
:08:30. > :08:34.around the globe, from Sydney Harbour Bridge to the forests of
:08:34. > :08:39.Rwanda, from Pacific Islands to the mountain is in Scotland. The baton
:08:39. > :08:43.is the Queen's official invitation to the 70 nations and territories of
:08:43. > :08:46.the Commonwealth, and our Commonwealth Games reporter, Jane
:08:46. > :09:03.Lewis, has been to find out more about it.
:09:03. > :09:08.We brainstormed, and what I was trying to get was a link between the
:09:08. > :09:13.three words, culture, message and sport. We have broken it down, so
:09:13. > :09:20.you have got the puzzle box mechanism, the way the message is
:09:20. > :09:26.housed, in the lattice work, among other things. The baton is made from
:09:26. > :09:32.elm, sourced from the Isle of Cumbrae, an island off western
:09:32. > :09:35.Scotland. In tribute to Scotland's shipbuilding heritage, it was
:09:35. > :09:44.crafted using a special technique, employed by boat yards. It is a
:09:44. > :09:47.technique for making masters. You make eight identical slats, with a
:09:48. > :09:51.groove in them, and you put them together to get a very stable shape
:09:51. > :09:59.with a hollow space inside which we can use for running electronics down
:10:00. > :10:06.inside. From the baton's handle to its lattice frame... There is a lot
:10:06. > :10:10.of latticework around Glasgow, especially with the Clyde, the
:10:10. > :10:13.cranes and stuff. Les go again providing the inspiration, as
:10:13. > :10:17.cranes and stuff. Les go again different layers of pure titanium
:10:17. > :10:24.powder, used together by a laser, have produced a stunning effect. It
:10:24. > :10:26.is inside this frame where the Queen's message will be carried
:10:26. > :10:36.around the Commonwealth, a central feature, lit up by LED lighting. So,
:10:36. > :10:43.to the top of the baton, and a granite gemstone, unique to
:10:43. > :10:49.Scotland. That gap does not have to be there, I could move all of this
:10:49. > :10:52.up... The stone, from the uninhabited island of Ailsa Craig,
:10:52. > :10:59.will be released by a special mechanism, adding a quirky twist to
:10:59. > :11:03.the story of the making of the. Baton We have achieved something
:11:03. > :11:11.which is truly great I love it. It is all credit to the team that has
:11:11. > :11:15.put it together. There is the baton, and the man who will be
:11:15. > :11:19.carrying it first this morning is the Scottish cyclist Sir Chris Hoy,
:11:19. > :11:23.who is just a stones throw from here, at Marlborough house, the
:11:23. > :11:30.headquarters of the Commonwealth. It was once a royal palace, now home to
:11:30. > :11:37.the Commonwealth Secretariat. My colleague Andrew Cotter is with him.
:11:37. > :11:42.Yes, and Friary caught is where the pipes are gathering. Chris Roy is
:11:42. > :11:48.going to escort them down the Bell. It is a tremendous honour for you,
:11:48. > :11:51.even after all you have achieved... Yes, it is a huge honour. I am
:11:51. > :12:01.looking forward to it, it is a fantastic location. Everybody is
:12:01. > :12:04.raring to go. Of course, you have the velodrome named after you, but
:12:04. > :12:10.how difficult was the decision not to compete? It was not easy, but
:12:10. > :12:14.ultimately, my body made that choice for me, whether or not I could
:12:14. > :12:19.continue at the highest level, and sadly, I could not. Your body can
:12:19. > :12:22.only maintain that level of performance for so long. But it is
:12:23. > :12:28.good to be fantastic to be an ambassador for the Games, to immerse
:12:28. > :12:35.myself in the Games. Normally, you are so engrossed in your own sport,
:12:35. > :12:39.you do not get that chance. You have won six medals in the Olympics, of
:12:39. > :12:42.course, but the Commonwealth Games was where it all started for you
:12:42. > :12:47.back in 2002, so what does it signify for you? It was the start of
:12:47. > :12:54.my whole career, starting off in Kuala Lumpur, in 1998. Then there
:12:54. > :12:57.was 2002, Melbourne, 2006, where I won a gold medal. Sony happy
:12:58. > :13:02.memories. It was really the catalyst, the spark that got
:13:02. > :13:07.everything going, helping me to move on and achieve more. One of the
:13:07. > :13:12.keywords about the Olympic aims was legacy, and we can see you with the
:13:12. > :13:17.Unicef badge on your lapel, this has to be about the future, changing
:13:17. > :13:22.Glasgow, changing the attitude of young people towards sport as well?
:13:22. > :13:26.Absolutely. You can see the difference it makes to young
:13:26. > :13:29.people's lives. Unicef are partnering with Glasgow 2014 to
:13:29. > :13:33.improve the lives of children all across the Commonwealth. But it is
:13:33. > :13:37.also about at home in Glasgow, in Scotland, although young children
:13:37. > :13:41.who will hopefully be inspired by the Games, and take up sport and
:13:42. > :13:47.make it part of their lives. Over there is the mascot, Clyde, and some
:13:47. > :13:54.of the athletes as well. At least I hope that is Clyde the mascot! But
:13:54. > :14:00.the band is waiting, and the baton is waiting as well. Chris Roy, thank
:14:00. > :14:05.you very much for talking to us. Thank you, a very important job to
:14:05. > :14:12.do indeed. They will all be setting off any minute now, heading along
:14:12. > :14:16.The Mall macro, a very short journey up to the forecourt of Buckingham
:14:16. > :14:19.Palace. There, pressed against the railings, hundreds and hundreds of
:14:19. > :14:25.people who have been gathering all morning. Yes, right in front of the
:14:25. > :14:29.gates here at Buckingham Palace, a sizeable crowd has gathered. Some of
:14:29. > :14:34.them came to see the changing of the guard. They are getting quite a
:14:34. > :14:36.bonus. But some have come specifically for the Queen's Baton
:14:36. > :14:42.Relay Launch. Among those people, joining me now, Judith, Elaine and
:14:42. > :14:46.William. Judith, you were a Gamesmaker at the limpet games, and
:14:46. > :14:56.you have applied to do the same job at the Commonwealth Games... Yes, it
:14:56. > :15:00.was really wonderful. I hope I am lucky enough to be selected. It is a
:15:00. > :15:05.real thrill to be able to be here today. Why did you make the effort
:15:05. > :15:08.to come to this event? I have never actually seen the launch of the
:15:08. > :15:13.baton relay, and it is in the UK, it is in London, and I live in London,
:15:13. > :15:15.although I am Welsh, obviously, but it is just a thrill to be here. I am
:15:15. > :15:23.looking forward to seeing Allan it is just a thrill to be here. I am
:15:23. > :15:30.Wells and Sir Chris Hoy. With me also, Elaine and William, teachers
:15:30. > :15:34.at a high school in Glasgow which I understand is one of the closest
:15:34. > :15:49.schools to the Commonwealth Village. Your pupils are here
:15:49. > :15:54.today... Yes, it is such an amazing opportunity for them to carry the
:15:54. > :15:59.flags. We are delighted to be here today. Unfortunately they are inside
:15:59. > :16:02.and you are out here. That is correct but it is good for the young
:16:02. > :16:09.people of the high school to be ambassadors for Unicef and for the
:16:09. > :16:12.young people of Glasgow. Yes, really making them feel involved in the
:16:12. > :16:18.Commonwealth Games. Thanks to all three of you. Have a lovely day. My
:16:18. > :16:24.hope you enjoy it. We are waiting for Sir Chris Hoy to come down The
:16:24. > :16:31.Mall and through those gates as the Queen's Baton Relay unfolds. Back to
:16:31. > :16:36.you. Thank you. The scene is set. They are waiting for the baton which
:16:36. > :16:40.will depart shortly from St James' Palace.
:16:40. > :16:48.You might be able to see the event that is being hosted by Gabby Logan
:16:48. > :16:52.for 2014. Sir Chris Hoy will be ringing the baton to the stage that
:16:52. > :17:05.is set in front of the palace. -- bringing the baton. People from
:17:05. > :17:08.Unicef, high Commissioners, representing many of the
:17:08. > :17:14.Commonwealth nations. You can see Clyde in the background as well, the
:17:14. > :17:19.mascot. He was born, as it were, a year ago. He has been introduced to
:17:19. > :17:21.hundreds of thousands of people. Sir Chris Hoy is getting his last-minute
:17:21. > :17:39.instructions. Carrying the baton. And the Scots Guards 1st Battalion
:17:39. > :17:44.pipes and drums band is ready for the short procession that will lead
:17:44. > :17:52.them up The Mall. Sir Chris Hoy will be leading them this morning.
:17:52. > :17:59.And there he is taking his place, wearing, he told me earlier, the
:17:59. > :18:13.kilt that he got married in which he saves for very special occasions.
:18:13. > :18:22.There is the wonderful baton that has been designed and made in
:18:22. > :18:27.Glasgow, in Scotland. That is the baton that he will bring up The Mall
:18:27. > :18:32.shortly. It is quite a moment, isn't it? 288 days might seem like a long
:18:32. > :18:37.way away but the Games will be upon you before you network. Yes. There
:18:37. > :18:41.is a great deal of momentum building and I think we will be able to build
:18:41. > :18:45.that momentum across the Commonwealth and it is what the
:18:45. > :19:03.baton is about. Are very proud moment for Sir Chris Hoy but a shame
:19:03. > :19:06.that he will not be competing in the Velodrome named after him. The Sir
:19:06. > :19:10.Chris Hoy Velodrome is a new venue that we are very proud of. He is not
:19:10. > :19:16.competing but he is one of our ambassadors. This is Nicola
:19:16. > :20:31.competing but he is one of our Benedetti, the classical violinist.
:20:31. > :20:41.We will leave Nicola Benedetti there. She is playing My Love Is
:20:41. > :20:49.Like A Red, Red Rose. And as you can see, the procession is finally under
:20:49. > :20:55.way. The 11 time World Champion, six time Olympic champion, two-time
:20:55. > :21:00.Commonwealth champion, one of the greatest athletes of all time
:21:00. > :21:09.carrying the empty baton as the procession starts towards Buckingham
:21:09. > :21:14.Palace. Sir Chris Hoy has competed at three Commonwealth Games himself.
:21:14. > :21:18.Kuala Lumpur, Manchester, Melbourne, and it was 15 years ago at Kuala
:21:18. > :21:25.Lumpur that he took his first steps onto the international stage. His
:21:25. > :21:34.first major appearance at the major Games. The big moment for him, you
:21:34. > :21:38.were telling us earlier. And he is accompanied by the Scots Guards 1st
:21:38. > :21:42.Battalion pipes and drums band. The Scots Guards have a very proud
:21:42. > :21:50.history of guarding the monarchy. Yes, one of the oldest regiments.
:21:50. > :21:55.The third oldest. You can see their uniforms, with buttons in groups of
:21:55. > :21:59.three, dating back to 1642, the beginning of the English civil war
:21:59. > :22:07.when Charles I chose them as his personal protective squad. They have
:22:07. > :22:11.fought in every single war that Britain has been engaged in, most
:22:11. > :22:17.recently the First World War, the Second World War and Afghanistan. We
:22:17. > :22:22.should remember that the bandsmen that we are seeing, people think the
:22:22. > :22:25.men outside Buckingham Palace are just ceremonial, but they are all
:22:25. > :22:30.active fighting soldiers and they have seen active duty. The bandsmen
:22:30. > :22:33.are trained regular soldiers who have fought in Afghanistan. The
:22:33. > :22:39.music is almost a hobby for them and they take great pride in it. Let's
:22:39. > :22:44.talk about the baton relay itself because it is a unique tradition of
:22:45. > :23:02.these games. It was first staged in 1958 for the Games in Cardiff and
:23:02. > :23:05.has been the curtain raiser ever since for the Commonwealth Games.
:23:05. > :23:08.The idea behind it is to unite the 2 billion citizens of the Commonwealth
:23:08. > :23:10.in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. The Queen's Baton Relays
:23:10. > :23:12.get longer and longer, don't they? They started at first in England and
:23:12. > :23:17.the host nation that this will travel hundreds of thousands of
:23:17. > :23:24.kilometres. It is a major undertaking and it will be in the
:23:24. > :23:27.international markets for 248 days. It is a major logistical exercise
:23:27. > :23:32.with great cooperation right across the nation is that it will visit. We
:23:32. > :23:37.are ready and we are about to leave tomorrow. It will be a great
:23:37. > :23:39.promotional journey for the event. A lot of people will remember the
:23:40. > :23:45.promotional journey for the event. A great torch protection team at the
:23:45. > :23:49.Olympics, police accompanying it everywhere. You have assets
:23:49. > :23:55.protectors, don't you? There are just two of them and they are low
:23:55. > :23:59.profile. We are taking a light touch. We think people will respect
:23:59. > :24:06.the baton and no pit is about friendship and cooperation and we
:24:06. > :24:15.think we can take a light touch. -- and people know it is about. Gabby
:24:15. > :24:22.Logan will be receiving it. The baton is designed to embody
:24:23. > :24:27.Glasgow's Scottish history and culture. The beautiful titanium
:24:27. > :24:30.latticework and inside you might be able to glimpse the transparent
:24:30. > :24:35.cylinder, which is where the message will be placed shortly by the Queen.
:24:35. > :24:40.Inside the cylinder, LED lights, which light up so that you can see
:24:40. > :24:44.the message at all times. The designers were very keen that the
:24:44. > :24:51.message should be visible and on show at all times. It was also
:24:51. > :24:55.designed, of course, to withstand all kinds of elements because it
:24:55. > :25:00.will travel a very long way and through all kinds of climates, at
:25:00. > :25:10.Manton is, through jungles, the forests of Rwanda -- up mountains.
:25:10. > :25:15.So it will see a lot of weather. Sir Chris Hoy looks like he is enjoying
:25:15. > :25:20.himself as he makes his way towards the memorial. The Commonwealth, when
:25:20. > :25:25.you think about the moment we are about to see when the Queen puts the
:25:25. > :25:30.message into the baton, it has grown throughout her reign, hasn't it? It
:25:30. > :25:36.has. When the Queen was born in 1926 it was not called the Commonwealth.
:25:36. > :25:41.It was the Empire. This is a great achievement to Shepherd and outdated
:25:41. > :25:49.imperial exploitative organisation into a genuine family of nations.
:25:49. > :26:00.And the goodwill that is generated by the games analyses that for the
:26:00. > :26:06.Queen. She will recall the Empire games in the 1930s, the first being
:26:06. > :26:13.in Ontario, in Hamilton. For a child growing up in the reign of Elizabeth
:26:13. > :26:17.II, the regular coming round of the Commonwealth Games was just a
:26:17. > :26:21.regular reminder of the spread of the Commonwealth family of nations
:26:21. > :26:25.and the good feeling between them. There were difficult times, in the
:26:25. > :26:29.apartheid years South Africa was excluded from the Commonwealth. Many
:26:29. > :26:33.people would say that the Commonwealth played a very valuable
:26:33. > :26:39.role in shepherding South Africa from those dark days into the
:26:39. > :26:43.independence that it enjoys today. Sir Chris Hoy reaching the green
:26:43. > :26:50.Victoria Memorial. The crowds have gathered for a couple of hours now,
:26:51. > :26:56.waiting to catch a glimpse of Chris and the message being put into the
:26:56. > :27:01.baton. There is already a real buzz about Glasgow 2014. The momentum is
:27:01. > :27:06.really gathering pace. We are feeling it more and more. From the
:27:06. > :27:13.one-year to go mark, gaining pace every day. People want to be there
:27:13. > :27:17.for the big event. It is only 288 days away and we are getting
:27:18. > :27:22.positive messages throughout the UK and especially in Scotland. It is
:27:22. > :27:27.going to be a fun time when the Games are on. What does it mean to
:27:27. > :27:31.you to be watching Sir Chris Hoy this morning? It is exciting and it
:27:31. > :27:35.reminds us of the power of the games and the ability to bring together
:27:35. > :27:57.everybody for the event. We have a lot to do to make sure everything is
:27:58. > :28:00.ready for the athletes, the fans, the officials, all the groups, but
:28:00. > :28:04.we will make sure that we work hard and be ready. We will use the next
:28:04. > :28:06.288 days to make sure it is right on target. Sadly Sir Chris Hoy himself
:28:06. > :28:09.will not be competing but Usain Bolt could be on the track. We are
:28:09. > :28:11.certainly expecting the best of the Commonwealth. When you look at the
:28:11. > :28:13.way athletes compete on the international stage, we will get
:28:13. > :28:15.world-class competition. The athletes are saying that they want
:28:15. > :28:18.to be there. We will have terrific athletes next summer. I asked Sir
:28:18. > :28:22.Chris Hoy if he would feel emotional at this moment and he said he was
:28:22. > :28:28.not sure. But he certainly looks like he is having a wonderful time.
:28:28. > :28:32.Enjoying it as he carries it through the gates and into the forecourt of
:28:32. > :28:37.the palace. There are other 70 children from schools in Glasgow and
:28:37. > :28:44.London gathering behind him as he reaches the stage and Gabby Logan.
:28:44. > :28:51.Be careful now! I think it is steady. It is a thing of beauty. It
:28:51. > :28:56.is and quite heavy, too. My arms! What does it mean to you to bring
:28:56. > :29:01.the baton in here and deliver it to Her Majesty the Queen? It is a
:29:01. > :29:09.massive honour and it brings home how soon the games will be
:29:09. > :29:12.arriving. This is the start of the final leg of the journey and I am
:29:12. > :29:17.very proud. Why does the baton really captured the imagination so
:29:17. > :29:22.much? It will go round all of the Commonwealth, all of the nations,
:29:22. > :29:28.and ignite enthusiasm for the Games. The athletes are already training
:29:28. > :29:33.hard for the Games but it will get people excited about this amazing
:29:33. > :29:38.event. What are you looking forward to? Personally, experiencing the
:29:39. > :29:42.games from the other side. No longer competing and being able to enjoy
:29:42. > :29:46.them without focusing so much on performance. Beyond that it is the
:29:46. > :29:50.legacy, which will inspire a whole new generation, and not just in
:29:50. > :29:54.Scotland and Glasgow but wider than that with Unicef's partnership,
:29:54. > :29:59.hopefully improving the lives of children across the Commonwealth. So
:29:59. > :30:18.many positive things will come out of these Games. The sport is one
:30:18. > :30:20.thing and the culture is another. We heard Nicola Benedetti before.
:30:20. > :30:23.Glasgow offers a range of cultural activities and sporting activities
:30:23. > :30:25.for people to enjoy, and see the city at its very best. They will.
:30:25. > :30:27.Glasgow is famous for being friendly and these are the Friendly Games.
:30:27. > :30:30.Glaswegians are notoriously brilliant at extending their
:30:30. > :30:36.hospitality. It is our chance to put on a party, put on the show, and
:30:36. > :30:42.really inspire future generations. You know from the London Olympics
:30:42. > :30:50.how the home support can really inspire the athletes. They must be
:30:50. > :30:54.excited. Yes. I competed in Manchester and we really appreciated
:30:54. > :30:56.the support. There is nothing like a home Games and that is why I am sad
:30:56. > :31:02.the support. There is nothing like a I will not be competing myself.
:31:02. > :31:07.Thank you so much. Why can't think of anyone better to deliver the
:31:07. > :31:23.baton here today. -- icon. Thank you very much. So, the baton is here,
:31:23. > :31:28.the stage is set. Very shortly, the royal party will enter. They will be
:31:28. > :31:30.led by Her Majesty's Queen and his royal Highness the Duke of
:31:30. > :31:36.Edinburgh. Accompanying them will be his royal Highness Prince Imran of
:31:36. > :31:42.Malaysia, President Of The Commonwealth Games Federation, as
:31:42. > :31:47.well as the chairman of the Glasgow 2014 organising committee. Lord
:31:47. > :31:52.Smith will present the baton to Prince Imran, who will in turn
:31:52. > :31:55.invite Her Majesty to place her message inside the baton. Her
:31:55. > :32:00.Majesty's will then resent the baton to Allan Wells, the legendary
:32:00. > :32:07.sprinter, who, coincidentally, was the last baton bearer to hand the
:32:07. > :32:14.1986 Edinburgh Games baton to Her Majesty's for the opening ceremony
:32:14. > :32:19.them. Accompanying them will be a Unicef ambassador, and then, at
:32:19. > :32:24.last, the relay will truly begin. They will be heading up The Mall on
:32:24. > :32:29.the first leg of the journey to Marlborough House, the home of the
:32:29. > :32:32.Commonwealth Secretariat, where we will all join it at a reception
:32:32. > :32:38.before it then continues on its journey. In fact, the baton will not
:32:38. > :32:42.before it then continues on its be in London for very long at all.
:32:42. > :32:47.It will travel to Glasgow, ready for its departure to India tomorrow.
:32:47. > :32:50.That is all from me for now. I am going to leave you for a second as
:32:50. > :32:54.we wait for the arrival of Her Majesty the Queen. Until then, thank
:32:54. > :33:12.you very much, and I will see you shortly.
:33:12. > :33:20.So, in just a few minutes, the and the Duke of Edinburgh will be
:33:20. > :33:27.making their way towards that stage. There is Scotland's First
:33:27. > :33:37.Minister, Alex Salmond. A proud day for him. And when the Queen reaches
:33:37. > :33:41.Minister, Alex Salmond. A proud day the stage, she will not say anything
:33:41. > :33:44.this morning, she will quite simply put the message, which she has
:33:44. > :33:50.written on parchment, into the baton. I am told she penned the
:33:50. > :33:57.message during her summer stay at Balmoral. Gathered around the stage,
:33:57. > :34:01.you can see all of the schoolchildren, who were so excited
:34:01. > :34:07.this morning at their opportunity, their chance to take part today.
:34:07. > :34:08.They all had to apply, they had to e-mail the organisers and explain
:34:08. > :34:12.They all had to apply, they had to why they felt they should be here
:34:12. > :34:34.for this occasion. They have been rehearsing all morning.
:34:34. > :34:39.Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding to welcome Her Majesty's
:34:39. > :34:46.Queen, his royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, his royal Highness
:34:46. > :34:50.Prince Imran of Malaysia, and the Right Honourable Lord Robert Smith
:34:50. > :35:12.of Kelvin. ladies and gentlemen, please be
:35:12. > :36:05.seated. This morning, we launch the Queen's
:36:06. > :36:10.Baton Relay. The significance of this event for the Commonwealth
:36:10. > :36:14.Games in Glasgow should not be underestimated. Years of planning
:36:14. > :36:17.and preparation has gone into putting on the Games. We now reach
:36:17. > :36:28.the moment in the countdown really begins. The baton is a tangible
:36:28. > :36:32.object. Thousands of people will carry it, and they will bring the
:36:32. > :36:39.Commonwealth to life in front of our eyes. As its journey unfolds, we
:36:39. > :36:42.will see the vast diversity of landscapes and cultures and people.
:36:42. > :36:47.The spirit of friendship will be displayed as the baton is passed
:36:47. > :36:50.from hand to hand, reflecting the warm welcome that nations and
:36:50. > :36:56.territories of the Commonwealth can expect when they come to Glasgow and
:36:56. > :37:00.to Scotland next summer. This is a historic moment for Glasgow 2014. We
:37:00. > :37:04.will treasure it, and we look forward to following closely the
:37:04. > :37:12.Queen's Baton Relay on its momentous journey. On behalf of Glasgow 2014,
:37:12. > :37:19.I would now like to pass the baton to the President Of The Commonwealth
:37:19. > :37:29.Games Federation, His Royal Highness Prince Imran. The Queen's Baton
:37:29. > :37:37.Relay is the world's most engaging relay. It has power and it has
:37:37. > :37:42.meaning. The relay unites 2 billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a
:37:42. > :37:51.celebration of sport, diversity and peace. It will also bring the 17
:37:51. > :38:02.nations and territories of the Commonwealth together. Every time
:38:02. > :38:04.the baton is passed, it will cement the friendship of the Commonwealth
:38:04. > :38:10.and reinforce the ways in which we are connected. We share a history,
:38:10. > :38:16.values and goals, while recognising and appreciating our diversity. The
:38:17. > :38:25.Queen's Baton Relay brings the Commonwealth to life, in all its
:38:25. > :38:29.glory, for the world to see. On behalf of the Commonwealth Games
:38:29. > :38:33.Federation, it now gives me great pleasure to invite Her Majesty the
:38:33. > :38:34.Federation, it now gives me great Queen to place her message to the
:38:34. > :39:40.Commonwealth inside this baton. SOPHIE RAWORTH: So, now arriving
:39:40. > :39:51.onstage, Allan Wells, one of Scotland's most successful
:39:51. > :39:54.athletes, with four Commonwealth gold medals to his name. He takes
:39:54. > :40:01.the baton from the Queen. Alongside him, Monica Dzonzi, an extraordinary
:40:01. > :40:05.young woman from Malawi, who has been chosen to be the joint baton
:40:05. > :40:09.bearer this morning. Her father died when she was nine years old, she was
:40:09. > :40:13.told that her family did not have enough money to continue her
:40:13. > :40:18.education, she insisted she was going to continue her education. She
:40:18. > :40:21.worked panning and digging for gold during the day, and at night she
:40:21. > :40:25.walked many kilometres to earn enough money to send herself to
:40:25. > :40:29.school, and she did it. She wanted to be here to prove to people that
:40:30. > :40:37.you could achieve your dreams. Now, they have handed the baton
:40:37. > :40:42.227-year-old Caitlin McClatchey. She is going to begin the first lap of
:40:42. > :40:46.the Queen Victoria Memorial, she herself a double Commonwealth gold
:40:46. > :40:52.medallist, from Melbourne in 2006, and last year, a London 2012
:40:52. > :40:56.finalist in the 200 meter freestyle. And she is of course hoping to
:40:56. > :41:04.compete in Glasgow next year. Her parents both swam for the Scottish
:41:04. > :41:10.team at the 1970 and 1974 Commonwealth Games respectively in
:41:10. > :41:14.swimming. Very much in the family. Lots of applause for her as she
:41:14. > :41:19.makes her way around. She is handing it on to another female face, the
:41:19. > :41:23.gymnast Daniel Purvis, who you will remember from the London 2012
:41:23. > :41:27.limits. He got a bronze medal in the artistic gymnastics. -- familiar
:41:27. > :41:32.face. It is a great honour for these athletes today. And the first few
:41:32. > :41:40.baton bearers, athletes from the past, from the present, as you can
:41:40. > :41:42.see, and in a moment, Daniel Purvis will be handing on an athlete who
:41:42. > :41:51.see, and in a moment, Daniel Purvis hopes to take part in the Games next
:41:51. > :42:00.year. Plenty of applause from the crowd. They seem to be saying it is
:42:00. > :42:10.quite heavy, this baton. Sir Chris Hoy was obviously quite surprised by
:42:10. > :42:25.how much it weighed. He hands it on 215-year-old -- to 15-year-old Cara
:42:25. > :42:30.Kennedy, from Glasgow, who already competes for Scotland, and who is
:42:30. > :42:33.hoping to be at the Games next year. She has already gone some way
:42:33. > :42:41.towards qualifying. So, all of these athletes continuing their lap of the
:42:42. > :42:45.Queen Victoria Memorial. And next to receive baton will be a triple
:42:45. > :42:54.jumper, another young, promising, Scottish athlete, Morgan McKinnon.
:42:54. > :43:05.She is at the Glasgow School Of Art Port. -- the Lascaux School Of
:43:05. > :43:08.Sport. Ty Speer, a lot of these athletes talking about what the home
:43:08. > :43:12.crowd can do for you as an athlete, it must be something athletes will
:43:12. > :43:17.only ever experience once, if they it must be something athletes will
:43:17. > :43:22.are lucky... It is a real privilege to be able to offer that opportunity
:43:22. > :43:32.here in the UK again, certainly for athletes who are competing on behalf
:43:32. > :43:36.of Scotland, England and Wales. It is great, you have got an array of
:43:36. > :43:40.athletes, from the past, the present and the future as well. One of the
:43:40. > :43:43.great things about the Commonwealth Games is, it is often a time when
:43:44. > :43:47.you see young athlete making their mark on the world stage. Some of
:43:47. > :43:49.these young people we see here today, we would love to see them
:43:49. > :44:01.coming through and making their mark. This is young Rory Kirkwood, a
:44:01. > :44:07.swimmer, also from the Glasgow School of Sport. It is nice to see
:44:07. > :44:12.the Duke of Edinburgh looking so well. He is looking very fit. He
:44:12. > :44:16.certainly is. It feels like he is very much back in business. He was
:44:16. > :44:24.out yesterday in Norfolk, and here he is again at an official
:44:24. > :44:27.engagement at the Palace. The Queen always looks a bit nervous before
:44:28. > :44:33.these events, and then, when it is over, you can see that smile. Well,
:44:33. > :44:39.there is her message, being taken away from the Palace. And the next
:44:39. > :44:50.person to take hold of the baton is waiting now. This is Izzie Conway,
:44:50. > :44:55.born and bred in the shadow of Celtic Park in Glasgow. She is here
:44:55. > :44:59.to represent the 15,000 volunteers who are going to be so essential to
:44:59. > :45:04.the Games. We found out this week that they will be caught the
:45:04. > :45:06.Clydesiders. More than 50,000 people applied to take part. Only 15,000
:45:06. > :45:11.Clydesiders. More than 50,000 people have been lucky enough to get
:45:11. > :45:16.positions there. They have been finding out this week. Ty Speer,
:45:16. > :45:25.some of the volunteers will be as young as 16 years old this time...
:45:25. > :45:32.Yes, it is the first time we have been able to have them so young. To
:45:32. > :45:36.have people aged 16 to 18 join us in the volunteer programme and have so
:45:36. > :45:44.many people applied, that just says great things about how many people
:45:44. > :45:52.want to participate, young and old. This is a mere Mahmoud, with
:45:52. > :46:01.Scotland's strongest man. He is dressed in the tartan that Amir
:46:01. > :46:04.Mahmoud designed. He was telling us that he did not tell any of his
:46:04. > :46:10.friends that he was doing this because he did not think they would
:46:10. > :46:14.believe him! It is a great honour for him. We are thrilled to work
:46:14. > :46:20.with him to design the tartan. Another great young person's story.
:46:20. > :46:28.A great design and modelled well by Gregor. A great contribution by
:46:28. > :46:31.young people. There is a big focus on young people. Yes. And it is the
:46:31. > :46:36.focus across the Commonwealth. There are 1.2 billion people under the age
:46:36. > :46:42.of 24 across the Commonwealth. It is a huge part of the Commonwealth and
:46:42. > :46:48.of Glasgow 2014. Gregor Edmonds is helping him carry the baton this
:46:48. > :46:56.morning, and he has been Scotland's strongest man. They are going to
:46:56. > :47:00.carry it down The Mall, heading back towards Marlborough house, where
:47:00. > :47:04.there will be a reception for everybody invited today. Those are
:47:04. > :47:11.the schoolchildren, the flag-bearers, who gathered this
:47:11. > :47:16.morning, getting ready to leave the forecourt of the palace. They will
:47:16. > :47:20.be walking down The Mall towards Marlborough House and Sir Chris Hoy
:47:20. > :47:29.will be leading the way when it is their turn to leave.
:47:29. > :47:35.A great site at Buckingham Palace. Thank you to Ty Speer and Robert
:47:35. > :47:43.Lacey. We will be hearing more from you shortly. It is quite a journey
:47:43. > :47:46.that that baton has now started. It will be carried to all 70
:47:46. > :47:49.Commonwealth nations and territories. It will begin in
:47:49. > :47:55.India, the host of the last Commonwealth Games. It will be 288
:47:55. > :47:57.days before it arrives in Glasgow for the opening ceremony of the 20th
:47:57. > :48:03.Commonwealth Games. The man tasked for the opening ceremony of the 20th
:48:03. > :48:16.with following it on its journey is the writer and broadcaster and
:48:16. > :48:24.Explorer Mark Beaumont. For the 2014 Commonwealth Games... Glasgow! In
:48:25. > :48:28.the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, the Queen's Baton Relay will
:48:28. > :48:32.start an epic adventure along the Commonwealth. The tradition began in
:48:32. > :48:36.1958 when Roger Bannister left the gates of the palace carrying the
:48:36. > :48:40.very first baton containing a message from the Queen. Back then
:48:40. > :48:45.the baton was relayed from London to Cardiff and this time it is truly
:48:45. > :48:52.international. When I cycled around the world are covered 18,000 miles.
:48:52. > :48:56.The baton, as it connects all the Commonwealth nations and
:48:56. > :49:01.territories, will clock up a staggering 118,000 miles in 288
:49:01. > :49:06.days, the equivalent of five times around the equator. After its first
:49:06. > :49:10.stop in India, it will travel to Asia, before heading to Oceania.
:49:10. > :49:19.Several island hops later, and after a trip to 2018 hosts Australia, the
:49:19. > :49:28.baton will travel to 18 countries and two kingdoms in Africa. By Fabry
:49:28. > :49:32.it will reach South America before finally returning to Europe. -- by
:49:32. > :49:37.February. And by the opening ceremony, it will have travelled to
:49:37. > :49:42.all other nations in the Commonwealth, uniting a community of
:49:42. > :49:46.2 billion people from its largest state to its smallest island. The
:49:46. > :49:50.Queen's Baton Relay will touch the lives of many around the world,
:49:50. > :49:54.extending an invite to the Commonwealth, including newcomers
:49:54. > :49:58.like Rwanda, who will be sending competitors to the Games for the
:49:58. > :50:02.very first time. The journey will finish in Scotland where it will
:50:02. > :50:06.relay for 14 days before the Queen's message will finally be
:50:06. > :50:11.revealed at Celtic Park at the opening ceremony. Promoting sports,
:50:11. > :50:18.diversity and peace, that one baton travelling nation to nation invites
:50:18. > :50:24.the entire Commonwealth to Glasgow 2014.
:50:24. > :50:28.It is a journey and a half and Mark will be following at every step of
:50:28. > :50:34.the way. Following the baton right now, you can see in The Mall, the
:50:34. > :50:38.flag-bearers leaving the palace forecourt. And Clyde, you will see a
:50:38. > :50:43.lot more of him. That is Beth Gilmore holding the baton right
:50:43. > :50:48.now. She won a blue Peter competition to design the mascot for
:50:48. > :50:54.the 2014 Games. And that is her creation, Clyde The Thistle, who was
:50:54. > :50:58.introduced to the public for the first time a year ago. A lovely
:50:59. > :51:05.story for her because she is a sports woman herself and she has met
:51:05. > :51:09.all kinds of sporting heroes since Clyde was made, the Duchess of
:51:09. > :51:16.Cambridge being one. Not a sporting hero, of course, but she met Clyde.
:51:16. > :51:20.And Rebecca Adlington, Tom Daley, Sir Chris Hoy as well. Polite, we
:51:20. > :51:37.did not know if he could be trusted with the baton or not but clearly he
:51:37. > :51:42.can! -- Clyde. You have come straight from the palace forecourt.
:51:42. > :51:47.How exciting was it for you? Very exciting. We gave Clyde to Prince
:51:47. > :51:52.George as a birthday present, well, a smaller version, and it was well
:51:52. > :51:57.received. It was great to see Allan Wells and Chris Hoy. It really feels
:51:57. > :52:01.like the Games are very close now. The excitement is building. You have
:52:01. > :52:11.been planning this for years but now the time will whizz by. I was in Sri
:52:11. > :52:17.Lanka when we won the Games in 2007, so six years, but now it feels like
:52:18. > :52:21.it is Games on. We saw many athletes hoping to compete next year. There
:52:21. > :52:26.is nothing like the roar of the home crowd, and Sir Chris Hoy were saying
:52:26. > :52:33.earlier. And these are the only Games where you can compete Team
:52:33. > :52:38.Scotland, England, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey. It is the only time
:52:38. > :52:43.Scotland can compete as a nation and so it is really important. We have
:52:43. > :52:46.some expertise on how to win medals with Sir Chris Hoy coaching the
:52:47. > :52:51.team. And home support counts for a huge amount. We saw that at the
:52:51. > :52:55.Olympics last year and we will see the same thing in Scotland next
:52:55. > :52:59.year. That will carry us forward. There are 70 countries across the
:52:59. > :53:04.Commonwealth and all of them will be doing their best. All of them will
:53:04. > :53:12.be very welcome in Scotland. David, the baton is on its way. Are you
:53:12. > :53:14.ready? Absolutely. We are very excited. It is a great moment for
:53:14. > :53:20.ready? Absolutely. We are very us. The show is on the road now. We
:53:20. > :53:25.are deep into our planning. All of our competition venues are up and
:53:25. > :53:32.running. The teams that have come on board our world-class and things are
:53:32. > :53:35.open to the public now with some fantastic sporting opportunities.
:53:36. > :53:41.The one that is left is Hampden Park. We are transforming it from
:53:41. > :53:47.the National Stadium for football and concerts into a fully fledged,
:53:48. > :53:53.certified track and field field of play, which is so exciting. We have
:53:53. > :53:59.some exciting competition coming there next summer. No easy task. You
:53:59. > :54:03.literally have to raise the track by two metres, don't you? 1.9 metres.
:54:03. > :54:08.Thank you very much for joining me. two metres, don't you? 1.9 metres.
:54:08. > :54:12.You are going to join those guests walking now. The dignitaries that
:54:12. > :54:18.were there this morning with Gabby Logan leading the way down The Mall.
:54:18. > :54:25.There is an official function. I will borrow Sir Chris Hoy's
:54:25. > :54:29.bicycle! I did not see it this morning. Interesting to see him
:54:29. > :54:33.walking rather than in the saddle. We asked if you was going to run and
:54:33. > :54:39.he said he was not very good at that and would be walking. There is an
:54:39. > :54:43.official celebration taking place at Marlborough House very shortly.
:54:43. > :54:47.Thank you very much for joining me this morning and good luck with the
:54:47. > :54:51.Games. What an event it will be. It seems a long way off right now but
:54:51. > :55:02.the baton does have a very long way to travel before it gets there.
:55:02. > :55:06.Celtic Park in Glasgow is the location for the opening ceremony
:55:06. > :55:11.and Chris MacLachlan is there now, our BBC Commonwealth Games reporter.
:55:11. > :55:14.Good morning from one of the most iconic stadiums in the country,
:55:14. > :55:19.Celtic Park. It is quiet and empty at the moment
:55:19. > :55:26.but by July 23 this place will be absolutely rocking. Let me show you
:55:26. > :55:32.how fast this place is. It is a massive arena in the East End of
:55:33. > :55:35.Glasgow. It lends itself to a fabulous atmosphere. By next summer,
:55:35. > :55:40.the pitch will be completely gone and in its place there will be a
:55:40. > :55:44.massive platform on which the opening and closing ceremonies will
:55:44. > :55:48.be held. The details of the ceremonies are closely guarded at
:55:48. > :55:52.the moment but we are told to expect something special. In just over nine
:55:52. > :55:57.months, the baton will be back from its travels around the Commonwealth,
:55:58. > :56:01.back to Scotland to kick-start the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We have
:56:01. > :56:12.been having a look at what we can expect in Glasgow and having a look
:56:12. > :56:15.at some of the famous names that it is hoped will be taking part.
:56:15. > :56:18.Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city. In 2014 it will be the home of the 20th
:56:18. > :56:23.Commonwealth Games. From the opening ceremony at Celtic Park, the Rugby
:56:23. > :56:28.sevens at Ibrox Stadium and the athletics and closing ceremony at
:56:28. > :56:33.Hampden Park, Glasgow will make the best use of the old but combine it
:56:33. > :56:40.with the new. Venues rebuilt, revamped and rejuvenated with the
:56:40. > :56:43.Games in mind. This is Scotland's National Stadium, the home of
:56:43. > :56:49.Scottish football, Hampden Park. The next year the famous crowd will
:56:49. > :56:53.welcome some of the true greats of track and field such as Usain Bolt,
:56:53. > :56:59.Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah and Sally Pearson, as well as home-grown
:56:59. > :57:12.Scottish talents like Eilish McColgan and Eilidh Child. Sir Chris
:57:12. > :57:17.Hoy Velodrome is the jewel in the crown. It has been open a year and
:57:17. > :57:22.it is already officially the world's busiest velodrome. He will
:57:22. > :57:26.not be competing here himself. Ed Clancy and Becky James are all
:57:26. > :57:32.desperate to get their wheels on this very steep sided and very fast
:57:32. > :57:36.track. Elsewhere in the city, Mark Cavendish, the Bradley Wiggins and
:57:36. > :57:50.David Miller hoped to race on the roads. Tom Daley will make a splash
:57:50. > :57:56.at the Commonwealth swimming pool. Louis Smith in gymnastics will
:57:56. > :58:07.compete at the brand-new hydro arena that opened last week. There has
:58:07. > :58:12.been unprecedented demand for tickets. 50,000 people stepped
:58:12. > :58:17.forward to become one of the 15,000 volunteers. And next July, 4500
:58:17. > :58:21.athletes from 70 nations around the globe will make their way to this
:58:21. > :58:24.city, with an estimated 1 billion people glued to their television
:58:24. > :58:29.sets during the 20th Commonwealth Games. Glasgow is gearing up to be
:58:29. > :58:33.the centre of attention next summer, and no matter what the weather
:58:33. > :58:39.throws at us, this great city will put on a great show. Yes, plenty for
:58:39. > :58:43.the spectators and athletes alike to look forward to.
:58:43. > :58:54.And talking of athletes, as if by magic I am joined by our squash
:58:54. > :59:00.player. Have you dared to dream what it will be like when you walk out
:59:00. > :59:03.here? Yes, I have been to two Commonwealth Games and last month
:59:03. > :59:11.they found out that I had qualified for Glasgow 2014. When we walked out
:59:11. > :59:16.here it will be fantastic. The noise will be incredible, a lifetime
:59:16. > :59:22.experience. Scottish people can certainly make a noise! It will be
:59:22. > :59:27.quite a party. Yes, especially at the closing ceremony. You are
:59:27. > :59:31.veteran of two previous Games. Have you noticed a difference in the
:59:31. > :59:36.build-up because it is our home Games? Yes, even more than the
:59:36. > :00:21.Olympics. The run-up to the Games has been better in terms of media
:00:21. > :00:23.exposure and athletes. A lot of the sports getting lots of coverage
:00:23. > :00:25.which means that hopefully there will be more people in Scotland
:00:25. > :00:28.taking up different sports and trying new hobbies. It would be
:00:28. > :00:31.remiss of me not to mention your medal chances. Are you hoping to
:00:31. > :00:33.medal? I would not be here if I was not. I'll lost out in the
:00:33. > :00:36.quarterfinals in India, so I am hoping to do better. My partner was
:00:36. > :00:40.ranked 33 in the world last month, serve as a couple we have had some
:00:40. > :00:43.good results and we are hoping for a medal. Don't be full by how quiet it
:00:43. > :00:56.is in Glasgow because it will look and sound very different come July
:00:56. > :01:00.next year. you can see them going in the door there. Marlborough House,
:01:00. > :01:03.which used to be a royal palace. The Queen gave it to the British
:01:03. > :01:07.Government for the use of the Commonwealth in the 1950s, and it
:01:07. > :01:10.has been the Commonwealth Secretariat for decades now. It is
:01:10. > :01:13.the headquarters of the Commonwealth, effectively. There is
:01:13. > :01:17.an official function taking place there, and my colleague Andrew
:01:17. > :01:22.Cotter is there, with some of the athletes and those taking part. Over
:01:22. > :01:27.to you. Thank you very much. A very pleasant actor here at Mulberry
:01:27. > :01:31.house, and Pipes and Drums of the royal Scottish regiment have doing
:01:31. > :01:38.their thing. -- Marlborough House. I am here some of them. Caitlin
:01:39. > :01:45.McClatchey, how was that, it must've been quite an experience, carrying
:01:45. > :01:49.the baton down The Mall? Yes, it was an amazing experience, it was such
:01:49. > :01:53.an honour to be asked. It was incredible. I was probably more
:01:53. > :02:01.nervous for that than I am Formica petitions. Allan Wells, you have
:02:01. > :02:06.obviously carried the baton before, back in 1996, so how does this one
:02:06. > :02:16.compare? Less fit, but just as proud, and it was nice to meet the
:02:16. > :02:21.Queen. She said a few words to me. I think the occasion is fantastic for
:02:21. > :02:26.Glasgow. For me, it is a very proud situation. The build-up to this
:02:26. > :02:30.Commonwealth Games seems to be the build-up to 1986 was very different,
:02:30. > :02:35.so how do you think this one might compare to Edinburgh? I do not think
:02:35. > :02:40.there will be any comparison. As we know, there was a boycott in 1986.
:02:41. > :02:44.This one will be bigger, no doubt. Everything has been good, all of the
:02:45. > :02:49.background sounds have been good, as we can here at the moment! But
:02:49. > :02:54.everybody is behind us, especially with 2012, I think the Scottish
:02:54. > :02:58.public will be absolutely up for it. Beth Gilmour, I do not know what you
:02:58. > :03:04.are more proud about, standing next to your creation, or carrying the
:03:04. > :03:10.baton. Yes, it is a great thing to be part of. You designed Clyde
:03:10. > :03:14.through Blue Peter - when you were drawing it on the paper, did you
:03:14. > :03:19.imagine you might be standing next to him, is this the way you
:03:19. > :03:24.envisaged him? It is exactly like how I thought it would be. I never
:03:24. > :03:30.thought it would be real, but it is exactly how I thought it would look.
:03:30. > :03:36.It is going to be amazing, isn't it? It is just good to know that I
:03:36. > :03:40.am a part of this, because it is such a big thing. It is an amazing
:03:40. > :03:46.opportunity. I have got to do so much. As I was told, never work with
:03:46. > :03:53.children, animals or big, stuffed mascots, but Clyde, what are you
:03:53. > :03:59.looking forward to at the games? The rowing, the athletics... ?
:03:59. > :04:03.Excellent! Thank you very much very much. All of them looking forward to
:04:03. > :04:14.the Games, and all of them playing their part here today. I am now
:04:14. > :04:19.joined from outside Buckingham Palace by another famous athletes,
:04:19. > :04:24.James Cracknell. You are our Commonwealth Games England
:04:24. > :04:28.Ambassador, so what does that mean? It is a very grand title. I will be
:04:28. > :04:32.talking to the athletes, because there will be global names, like
:04:32. > :04:35.Usain Bolt, and then there will be people who can walk through their
:04:35. > :04:41.town, and not be known, competing at the same event. It is for those
:04:41. > :04:45.ones, who have not been in the situation before, a case of not
:04:45. > :04:47.getting overwhelmed, and making sure they can reproduce their
:04:47. > :04:51.performances which got them selected in the first place. What does it
:04:51. > :04:57.mean to an athlete to compete at a Commonwealth Games? For some sports,
:04:57. > :05:00.whether it is badminton or squash, it is the best in the world, or
:05:00. > :05:08.happens to be in the Commonwealth countries. But it is a huge,
:05:08. > :05:16.multisport artform, unlike your own World Championships, in this
:05:16. > :05:19.situation, you are thrust into a multisport event, with huge opening
:05:19. > :05:22.ceremonies and closing ceremonies, multisport event, with huge opening
:05:22. > :05:29.and it is important to learn about performing on that pressurised
:05:29. > :05:34.stage. You never got to compete at a Commonwealth Games, did you? No,
:05:34. > :05:39.rowing is bad on two counts, firstly, not many cities have lakes
:05:39. > :05:44.big enough, and secondly, it is not one of the core sports. It was
:05:44. > :05:55.actually in Edinburgh in 1986, and I had just taken up rowing, and Steve
:05:55. > :05:58.Redgrave won three gold medals. You have to tell people, it is not just
:05:58. > :06:03.like rowing on a boat you can hire in a park. But that gave me the
:06:04. > :06:08.reason to carry on, to think, there is somewhere I can progress to in
:06:08. > :06:11.this sport, and that it is what it will be like for lots of kids
:06:11. > :06:16.watching this time around as well. There is a place you can get to,
:06:16. > :06:20.aside from the Olympics, which can lead to something. And unlike the
:06:20. > :06:26.Olympics, there will be no Team GB, it is England, Scotland, Guernsey,
:06:26. > :06:31.Jersey, everybody competing for themselves. Mark Cavendish competes
:06:31. > :06:35.for the Isle of Man. It is very different. My brother-in-law
:06:35. > :06:38.competed in Manchester for England in swimming. You can get a bit
:06:38. > :06:47.closer to the action than India limpets, -- van in the Olympics, it
:06:47. > :06:58.just feels a bit more open, in a way. The Queen once described the
:06:58. > :07:02.Commonwealth as an extraordinary cultural tapestry of 2 billion
:07:02. > :07:06.people, living in the unique gathering of Nations. Ever since she
:07:06. > :07:11.came to the throne, it has occupied a special place in the heart of the
:07:11. > :07:20.Queen, as Nicholas Witchell explains. The charter I will sign
:07:20. > :07:22.today will light the part of all of those involved in the work of the
:07:22. > :07:27.Commonwealth, and of those who follow in our footsteps... It is an
:07:27. > :07:31.organisation which matters deeply to her, and her position as head of the
:07:31. > :07:40.Commonwealth has given her much more than a purely symbolic role in
:07:40. > :07:44.international affairs. By the time the Queen came to the throne in
:07:44. > :07:47.1952, the British Empire was fading into history. In its place was an
:07:47. > :07:53.1952, the British Empire was fading association of nations which
:07:53. > :07:57.initially had been called the British Commonwealth. Then it was
:07:57. > :08:01.called simply the Commonwealth. Although the title is not
:08:01. > :08:05.hereditary, the Queen was invited to follow her father and become head of
:08:05. > :08:11.the Commonwealth. It was a task she took two with characteristic it
:08:11. > :08:15.meant. I have vivid memories of my visits, during my father's lifetime,
:08:15. > :08:19.to Commonwealth Parliaments overseas, and I am looking forward
:08:19. > :08:25.with pleasure to seeing others during my forthcoming journey. Her
:08:25. > :08:29.journeys to the different countries of the Commonwealth meant that the
:08:29. > :08:32.Queen came to know many of their leaders as friends, and at moments
:08:32. > :08:40.of difficulty, her influence could be decisive. You have had a very
:08:40. > :08:46.busy day, haven't you? At no time was this more important than in the
:08:46. > :08:50.late 1970s and 1980s, when the Commonwealth was divided over issues
:08:50. > :08:55.such as Rhodesia and then apartheid regime in South Africa. The Queen
:08:55. > :09:00.encouraged readers to keep talking. You see, you are the same generation
:09:00. > :09:03.as my mother, and there is something extraordinary about this
:09:03. > :09:08.generation... It was a moment of real pleasure for her to be able to
:09:08. > :09:09.visit South Africa in 1995, to be welcomed by its first black
:09:09. > :09:15.president, Nelson Mandela. I think welcomed by its first black
:09:15. > :09:21.she has been a great stabilising factor, which has helped us to
:09:21. > :09:29.cement the bones between the various members of the Commonwealth. And I
:09:29. > :09:37.would also venture to say that this sensitivity is appreciated beyond
:09:37. > :09:40.the bounds of the Commonwealth. For more than 60 years, the Queen has
:09:40. > :09:44.toured the nations of the Commonwealth. No head of state in
:09:44. > :09:50.history has been more widely travelled. This was Australia back
:09:50. > :09:53.in 1954, when it is estimated that one third of the population of
:09:53. > :09:58.Australia turned out in person to see her. Her last visit there was in
:09:58. > :10:05.2011, when she was 85, as committed as ever to an association of
:10:05. > :10:08.countries from every continent, bar Antarctica, some of which have
:10:08. > :10:13.retained her as head of state, many of which have become republics, all
:10:13. > :10:17.of which come together for events like the Commonwealth Games, in the
:10:17. > :10:17.belief that they promote greater understanding and tolerance between
:10:17. > :10:27.different peoples. Nicholas Witchell with that report.
:10:27. > :10:31.Let's go straight back to Marlborough House, and to Andrew
:10:31. > :10:37.Cotter, who has got a very important person to talk to, the people who
:10:37. > :10:42.were behind the Bristol... Thank you very much. The strains of the Pipes
:10:42. > :10:54.and Drums just moving away now. They have just left the reception. With
:10:54. > :11:01.us now we have got Izzie Conway, one of the volunteers, who was born in
:11:01. > :11:08.the shadow of Celtic Park, and Julia McAvoy as well. That is to end of
:11:08. > :11:15.Glasgow, it is going to be effected positively, isn't it? Yes, the area
:11:15. > :11:18.is totally transformed, but the heart and soul of the East End of
:11:18. > :11:23.Glasgow, Parkhead, is still alive and kicking. You were instrumental
:11:23. > :11:27.in choosing some of the volunteers, you are one of the chief volunteers,
:11:27. > :11:33.and we know they are going to be called Clydesiders. The Olympic
:11:33. > :11:35.James thrived on the stand above its Gamesmakers, and the Commonwealth
:11:35. > :11:45.Games has to be the same. Absolutely. We have interviewed
:11:45. > :11:50.25,000 people, who will be Clydesiders during the games. What
:11:50. > :11:57.we are going to bring is a welcome, with the heart and soul that Glasgow
:11:57. > :12:01.has a of the friendly city. We were talking about this just a moment
:12:02. > :12:04.ago, because you are instrumental in promoting parasport. The crucial
:12:04. > :12:09.thing is that the parasport plumber will be happening at the same time?
:12:09. > :12:20.Yes, they are going to be integrated will be happening at the same time?
:12:20. > :12:28.into the same medal table as well. There will be long ball, cycling,
:12:28. > :12:31.athletics, powerlifting and cycling. We are looking forward to all of
:12:31. > :12:41.those sports, taking part at the same time as the other sports. Both
:12:41. > :12:45.of you, thank you very much. So, we will leave the baton, and all
:12:45. > :12:49.the invited tests at Marlborough House, where they will be enjoying
:12:49. > :12:54.that private function with the baton, which will be travelling back
:12:54. > :12:59.to Glasgow overnight, before tomorrow, it sets off on its very,
:12:59. > :13:05.very long journey around the world. That is all from this BBC news
:13:05. > :13:10.special on the Queen's Baton Relay Launch. Over the next 288 days, it
:13:10. > :13:14.will cross every continent, it will visit every nation and territory in
:13:14. > :13:18.the Commonwealth, before it arrives in Glasgow for the start of the 20th
:13:18. > :13:24.Commonwealth Games. We hope you have enjoyed the programme this morning.
:13:24. > :13:30.We will leave you with some of the memorable images from this morning.