King Charles on Monday marked the official countdown to next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by launching the King’s Baton Relay from Buckingham Palace.
The monarch, 76, placed a handwritten message into the ceremonial baton before handing it to cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, who revealed last year that he has terminal cancer.
The event, held in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, saw the King initiate the first leg of the relay for the 2026 Games. The batons—one for each of the 74 participating nations—are crafted from bare ash wood, allowing each country to decorate them in a way that reflects their heritage.
Each baton is also engraved with a single word, which, when combined, will reveal the King’s full message at the Games’ opening ceremony next summer. The Scottish baton presented to Sir Chris bore the word “gather.”
This marks the 18th official Commonwealth Games relay but the first under King Charles III’s reign. Before the relay commenced, the King met with Scotland’s First Minister and outgoing Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland.
Reflecting on the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey earlier in the week, the King commented on how much he had enjoyed a performance by Joan Armatrading, calling it “fantastic.”
Following the formalities, the King introduced the first baton bearers, beginning with Sir Chris Hoy, a six-time Olympic gold medalist.
He was followed by Paralympic and Commonwealth medal-winning wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn MBE, Commonwealth Society volunteer Keiran Healy—who played a key role in establishing the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign—and Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic and Commonwealth judoka Gabriella Wood, currently studying at the University of Stirling.
As he placed the message inside the baton, King Charles shared a lighthearted moment with Sir Chris before the legendary cyclist carried the baton through the Quadrangle. Accompanied by a guard of honor from the Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band London, Hoy made his way toward the Centre Arch, signalling the start of the relay.
“It was a huge honour to receive the Commonwealth Baton from the King and kick off the relay—500 days to go,” Sir Chris said afterward. “As a proud Scot, it’s fantastic that the Games are returning to Scotland next year. I thanked His Majesty for hosting us today; it’s been a wonderful celebration of the Commonwealth Games.”
The upcoming Games will feature athletes from all 74 Commonwealth nations and territories. In a historic first, each nation will receive its own baton to personalize, ensuring all batons will be prominently displayed during the Opening Ceremony.
With anticipation building, the relay now embarks on its journey across the Commonwealth, carrying the King’s message of unity and celebration to every corner of the association.
