Queen faces backlash for passing of the Commonwealth Baton

Queen Elizabeth launched the relay of the Baton which contains the monarch's message to the Commonwealth and is set to embark on a 294 day journey. 

The 95-year-old Queen presided over the launch of the baton relay for next year’s Commonwealth Games in the central England city of Birmingham on Thursday.

The monarch handed the baton for what are often referred to as the “friendly games” to four-time Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox, who is fresh from winning two events in Tokyo.

Cox, 30, took the baton on a brief journey around the nearby Queen Victoria Memorial in central London before handing it to another competitor.

The Commonwealth Games, formerly known as the Empire Games, are held every four years and involve mostly countries and territories with former colonial ties to Britain, including Australia, Canada, India and South Africa.

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay, as it is formally known, will now embark on its 90,000-mile (145,000 kilometer) journey around the world.

The relay, which will involve 7,500 baton bearers, will go through 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth over 294 days and will return to Birmingham for the opening ceremony on July 28.

The Queen has faced a backlash following the passing of the Commonwealth Baton. 

However, it was met by a number of tweets about the Commonwealth itself, with one wrote: "What are the reason to continue the commonwealth?"

"To commemorate the Fake greatness of UK or hiding British atrocities?"

Another tweet reads: "I love the queen and the Royals. But this really seems like they’re just making up stuff for her to do." 

The Queen, who has spent much of the pandemic at Windsor Castle, just west of London, wore a bright orange coat dress and matching hat at Thursday's event.