Commonwealth Games England Chair John Steele has called on Team England athletes to inspire pride in English identity at the Glasgow 2026 Games, which are now just two months away.
The King’s Baton Relay will arrive in England between 26 and 31 May, with each nation having its own customised baton to represent what the Games mean to them. Steele hopes the English leg can express an inclusive and inspiring sense of national pride.
“Sometimes people struggle to articulate what it means to be English, especially in the current climate when our flag and being English is sometimes misrepresented by certain parts of our society,” said Steele. “The King's Baton Relay and indeed the Games themselves clearly send a message of what being English stands for.”
The baton, designed by Cornish artist Bonnie Steward, features iconic English landmarks and landscapes created from a mosaic of plastics found on Cornish beaches, supporting the Royal Commonwealth’s ‘Clean Oceans’ campaign.
England’s leg of the relay begins on 26 May at St Paul’s Cathedral, followed by a celebration of 3x3 basketball. The baton will then travel around the country alongside former Team England stars in the official Team England taxi.
“This is a baton relay with a difference,” added Steele. “Each nation has designed that baton to represent what the Commonwealth Games means to them. All of those batons will come together in Glasgow to create a message from the King at the Opening Ceremony.”
