What is the Queen's baton made of and what is her Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games message?

The Queen's baton relay kicked off in Cornwall on Monday ahead of its 2,500 mile long journey through England before the Commonwealth Games begin in Birmingham later this month.

The journey will be taking in 180 towns, cities and villages up and down England and eventually reaching the West Midlands, signalling the symbolic start of the final countdown to the sporting contest’s beginning.

What is the baton made of, and where was it made?

The baton was manufactured in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, in a way that hopes to combine art, technology, engineering, and science.

It's been made with materials including copper, aluminium, and brass.

It also features a platinum strand, which is woven throughout the design and aims to celebrate the 70 years the Queen has been on the throne.

What is the Queen's message?

In a mechanical chamber underneath the brass plaque at the top of the baton, there's a message from the Queen.

But we don't know what it says - she's going to read it out at the Games's opening ceremony on July 28, 2022.

A 'smart baton'?

The Commonwealth Games baton is more than a work of art - it also features a camera, sensors, and touch-sensitive LED lighting.

Makers describe it as having 'lungs' which analyse its environmental surroundings.

The heartbeats of bearers can also be monitored by the baton, which lights up when passed from one person to another.

It also has 'eyes' and a 'brain' - a small camera able to monitor the baton's progress as it travels through the Commonwealth.

When can I see the baton and where?

The baton will reach the East Midlands on Sunday July 10, 2022, and will continue through the region on Monday.

It will visit places including Nottingham Castle and Loughborough University.

The baton will also hit Derby, Buxton, Skegness, and others.

Given the games are being held in Birmingham, the baton will reach the final stages of it's journey in the West Midlands, being carried though Newcastle-under-Lyme and and Stoke-on-Trent on Monday July 18.

The baton will visit numerous towns and villages in the region over the following week, ending with host city Birmingham from Wednesday July 27.