How An Undisclosed Letter From Queen Elizabeth Made A Trip Around The World
The Commonwealth Games are a big deal. The competitors are nations that were nearly all a part of the British Empire, and quite a few still have the monarch as their head of state. The royal family, therefore, is closely tied to the games. That, as we’ll see, was the precise reason why Queen Elizabeth II felt compelled to send a secret message all the way around the world.
The Friendly Games
Beginning all the way back in 1930 the Commonwealth Games, like the Olympics, takes place every four years. And while the competition between individual athletes is as intense as you’d expect, there’s a definite emphasis on a sense of sporting camaraderie between the countries taking part, hence its nickname of the “Friendly Games.”
A Royal Affair
For a long, long time, Elizabeth served as the patron of the Commonwealth Games Foundation. Her son Edward took on the vice-patron role in 1990 — a position he inherited from his father. In other words, the royal family has always been a huge part of the competition.
The Baton Relay
Before each Commonwealth Games get started, a baton relay begins. This involves the monarch passing a baton onto a runner, who takes it a distance and passes it onto someone else. This baton will cross many hands all over the world, before eventually making its way back to the monarch at the opening ceremony.
The Instigator
The baton relay tradition began in 1958 back when the event was known as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Elizabeth was already sitting on the throne back then, meaning she has always traditionally been the instigator of the relay. That was even true for the most recent games of 2022.
