A message from King George V is read out to competitors at the inaugural Games in Hamilton, Ontario.

1930

Australian runner Rowley Bateman suggests a relay from Canberra to take a goodwill message to Sydney, for the Games taking place two years later.

1936

Welsh athletics official Bernard Baldwin organises a race from Mountain Ash to Pontypridd to commemorate the centenary of the Welsh national anthem Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers). A baton containing a goodwill message is shared between the two communities during the race. Baldwin suggests a similar event might be held at the finale of the 1958 Commonwealth Games.

1956

Cardiff

The first Queen's baton is designed by Colonel Roy Crouch and executed in silver gilt by Christine Magrath of Birmingham silversmiths Turner and Simpson. The design features a Welsh dragon in red enamel, surrounded by engravings of a daffodil and a leek and the emblem of the Commonwealth Games Federation. The first in a long line of bearers is Roger Bannister, the mile gold medallist at the 1954 Games in Vancouver.

1958

Perth

Prince Philip reads a greeting from The Queen at the Opening Ceremony in Perth. There is also a Relay by runners from Adelaide who carry a message from civic leaders, which is received by Perth Mayor Harry Howard.

1962

Kingston

The first baton to travel by air. Jamaican sprinter Keith Gardner escorts it from London and after a brief stay in New York it arrives in Jamaica. It is carried around the island by 500 youth club runners before Gardner, escorted by four fellow Commonwealth medallists, delivers the baton to Prince Philip at the Opening Ceremony.

1966

Edinburgh

The Queen hands over her message in a silver gilt baton in Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories. Abby Hoffman, the 880 yards gold medallist in 1966, is the first bearer after a ceremony with Inuvik people and other First Nation ethnic groups. In Scotland, 1,000 runners carry the baton to Edinburgh and 1966 marathon champion Jim Alder is the final bearer.

1970

Christchurch

The baton begins its journey from Sandringham in Norfolk. It is carried by Scottish runner Ian Stewart, the men's 5,000 metres gold medallist from 1970. He is accompanied by women's 1500m champion Rita Ridley and New Zealand's double Commonwealth champion Murray Halberg. The final bearer in Christchurch is New Zealand's Sylvia Potts.

1974

Edmonton

The baton is fashioned from narwhal tusk and flies from London to Ottawa. Canadian high jumper Diane Jones-Konihowski is the final bearer. For the first time, The Queen opens the Games and reads the words she had consigned to the baton as an "address".

1978

Brisbane

Australia's Decima Norman, a heroine of the 1938 Games, is entrusted with escorting the baton to London to receive the message from The Queen. The Relay begins in June and is the longest to date with 3,460 runners covering 8,653 kilometres by road. It also travels 6,750 kilometres by air. Raelene Boyle, another popular and successful Australian athlete, hands the baton to Prince Philip at the Opening Ceremony.

1982

Edinburgh

The baton is greeted at the Scottish border by Jim Alder, the final bearer from the 1970 Edinburgh Games. Sprinter Allan Wells is chosen to bring the baton into Meadowbank Stadium. At the 1970 Games, Wells had been a volunteer working on the long jump pit.

1986

Auckland

For the first time, the baton also visits Canada and Australia before arriving in New Zealand. It is then split for a journey through the north and south islands in the longest Relay to date. It arrives in Auckland harbour by Māori canoe before Olympic eventing champion Mark Todd, riding horse Charisma, and runner Peter Snell take over in the stadium.

1990

Victoria

The baton makes a symbolic visit to each of the six regions of the Commonwealth, including a stopover in 1998 host city Kuala Lumpur. When it arrives in Canada, it is taken to every provincial and territorial capital. Olympic biathlon champion Myriam Bédard is the final bearer and enters the stadium on dry skis.

1994

Kuala Lumpur

At Buckingham Palace, badminton star Punch Gunalan receives the baton and is escorted by athletes including Kelly Holmes and Adrian Moorhouse. In Malaysia, the final part of the journey begins by elephant before 77-year-old Koh En Tong, Malaysia's 1950 bantamweight weightlifting gold medallist, and 12-year-old gymnast Nurul Fatiha, the youngest member of the Malaysian team, deliver the baton.

1998

Manchester

The baton visits 23 Commonwealth countries and territories before a 50 day tour of the host nation England in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. At the stadium, an aerialist descends with the baton via balloon. The final bearer is footballer David Beckham, who is accompanied by seven-year-old Kirsty Howard who was born with a rare heart condition.

2002

Melbourne

The baton visits all Commonwealth nations and territories for the first time. Supermodel Elle Macpherson joins Australian running legend Cathy Freeman to begin the Relay and Freeman reappears as one of the final bearers at Melbourne Cricket Ground after the year's journey.

2006

Delhi

Shooting star Abhinav Bindra received the baton from The Queen. Sebastian Coe and cricket star Kapil Dev were among the first bearers as the Relay to Delhi began a 340 day journey. It visits the source of the Nile and is even the star attraction at a wedding in St Vincent. The final bearer is wrestler Sushil Kumar.

2010

Glasgow

Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy carries the baton to Buckingham Palace to begin the Relay. After its journey around the Commonwealth, he reappears at Celtic Park to hand the baton to then CGF President Prince Imran. The Prince eventually opens the baton for The Queen to read her address and open the Games.

2014

Gold Coast

Cycling greats Anna Meares and Victoria Pendleton are the first bearers at Buckingham Palace. The Relay visits every nation and territory in a journey lasting 388 days. Local champion hurdler Sally Pearson is the final bearer.

2018