Queen's Baton has jet ski ride in Cyprus as first part of international commonwealth journey

The Commonwealth Games 2022 Queen's Baton Relay has officially begun its international journey in Cyprus, after departing from Birmingham Airport on Friday.

This is the first stop on the 294-day journey to all 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, arriving back in England in July 2022 - and it's even had a ride on a jet ski.

The relay will cover 140,000-kilometre in total and the next stop is Malta.

It comes after the official launch of the Queen's Baton Relay on 7 October 2021 at Buckingham Palace, where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II placed her message to the Commonwealth on the Baton.

On a dais in the forecourt of the palace, the Queen placed a message inside the baton.

The message will be read out in full at the opening ceremony next year.

The first baton bearer, as they are known, was the British double Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox.

She took it from the Queen, who was accompanied by her son Prince Edward, and passed it to Team England squash player Declan James and Team Wales boxer Lauren Price.

The pair took it round the Queen Victoria Memorial and down the Mall, passing it to other baton bearers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

After Cyprus, the next stop is Malta and it will continue across 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.