The President of the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association Juliet Holt was among 200 guests at Buckingham Palace this morning for the Glasgow 2014 Queen's Baton Relay launch.
The baton will travel to all 71 nations competing at next summer's Games in Scotland - a journey of 118,000 miles.
It will come to the Isle of Man next May - exact details of the visit have yet to be released.
Juliet Holt says today's ceremony in London has heightened expectation and means the final countdown to Glasgow 2014 has begun:-
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