King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at Joint Base Andrews on Monday (April 27, 2026).
| Photo Credit: AP

The British government on Friday (February 20, 2026) mulled passing a law to remove former prince Andrew from the line of succession, as police stepped up investigations into his conduct, quizzing the disgraced royal’s former protection officers.

Amid a torrent of often tawdry revelations from the files of late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, King Charles III has already stripped his younger brother of all his titles and ousted him from his home in Windsor.

But the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II remains eighth in line to the British throne after Princess Lilibet, the daughter of his nephew, Prince Harry.

The government would consider introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession once the police investigation is over, sources told AFP.

The former prince was arrested on Thursday (February 19, 2026) at his new home on the king’s remote Sandringham estate in eastern Norfok on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Public outrage has grown over past months amid a daily drip of information about Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s cosy ties to Epstein, and his apparent sharing of confidential information when he was a UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.

A YouGov poll conducted after Thursday’s (February 19, 2026) arrest — an unprecedented act against the royal family in the modern era — showed 82% believed he should be removed from his place in line to the throne.

Police on Friday (February 20, 2026) conducted a second day of searches at his former home, the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge in Windsor. These are expected to continue through the weekend.

London’s Metropolitan police force said it was seeking information from officers “close” to Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor about “anything” they “saw or heard during that period of service that may be relevant to our ongoing reviews”.

It was also separately working with U.S. authorities to “assess” allegations that multiple flights linked to Epstein helped traffic girls and women in and out of London airports.

At least nine British police forces have confirmed they are looking into claims — many related to Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor — stemming from the latest batch of some three million Epstein files released by the U.S. government last month.

Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor — who was marking his 66th birthday when arrested — was nowhere to be seen on Friday (February 20, 2026) after 11 hours in police custody.

Deeply unpopular

Britain’s newspapers splashed on front pages a photograph of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, looking haggard and wild-eyed as he left a Norfolk police station in a car late Thursday (February 19, 2026).

Mr. Charles issued a rare, personally signed statement insisting “the law must take its course” and sought to carry out business as usual.

But royal commentators highlighted that the first arrest of a senior royal in centuries signalled a moment of peril for the monarchy.

“I think the great challenge for the monarchy in the coming weeks, months, possibly longer, is the various unknowns in this particular crisis moment,” said royal expert Ed Owens.

Any charges against Andrew or a trial could be a long time coming, as the investigations proceed.

And the road towards stripping the former prince from the line of succession would also take time, as an act of parliament is needed.

“Before the line of succession could be changed, it would require all 14 countries, where King Charles is also their head of state, as well as the UK, to change the law of succession,” said constitutional expert Robert Hazell, from University College London.

Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor is now deeply unpopular with Britons.

“I’m really pleased that nobody’s above the law,” said Jo Mortimer, 64, in the Norfolk town of Aylsham where the former prince was held in custody.

Commercially sensitive

In a November 2010 email from the U.S. documents, seen by AFP, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to share with the U.S. financier reports on his visit to several Asian countries, among other communications about investment possibilities.

Epstein had already been convicted in the United States in 2008 of child prostitution.

Official guidance is thought to stipulate that trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive commercial or political information related to their official visits.

The ex-prince has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

But one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, last year recounted in shocking detail in her posthumous memoir claims that she had been trafficked three times to have sex with Andrew, twice when she was 17.

The ex-prince settled a U.S. civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Giuffre, while not admitting liability.

Published – February 21, 2026 01:59 am IST

Britain’s King Charles speaks with Reverend Canon Dr Paul Williams, as Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales leave the church, on the day of the Royal Family’s Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene’s church, as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain December 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Britain’s King Charles III commemorated the sacrifices of service men and women from across the Commonwealth during World War II in his annual Christmas Day broadcast.

Opening his customary address with a reference to the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings this year, which laid the foundations for the victory of the Allied Forces against Nazi Germany in 1944, the 76-year-old monarch said such examples of “service and selflessness” continue to inspire.

“Earlier this year, as we commemorated the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, the Queen (Camilla) and I had the enormous privilege of meeting, once again, the remarkable veterans of that very special generation who gave of themselves so courageously, on behalf of us all,” said King Charles.

“Listening to these once-young service men and women touched us deeply as they spoke of their comrades, drawn from across the Commonwealth, who never returned and who now rest peacefully where they made the ultimate sacrifice. Their example of service and selflessness continues to inspire, across the generations,” he said.

The King went on to strike a personal note in his message, filmed earlier at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London and aired on Wednesday evening, as he thanked the medics who cared for him and daughter-in-law Kate Middleton as they underwent cancer treatment.

“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed. I am deeply grateful, too, to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement,” he said.

The broadcast marked the first time that a British monarch’s Christmas message has been filmed outside a royal residence since 2006, when King Charles’ mother – the late Queen Elizabeth II — filmed her message at Southwark Cathedral in London.

According to Buckingham Palace, the “living Christmas tree” shown in this year’s broadcast was decorated with sustainable decorations including pinecones, metal bells, twisted glass and glass baubles.

The King said: “I am speaking to you today from the Chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in London — now itself a vibrant community space — and thinking especially of the many thousands of professionals and volunteers here in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth who, with their skills and out of the goodness of their heart, care for others — often at some cost to themselves.

“On our recent visit to the South Pacific to attend the Commonwealth summit, I was reminded constantly of the strength which institutions, as well as individuals, can draw from one another. And of how diversity of culture, ethnicity and faith provides strength, not weakness.”

Reflecting upon the anti-immigrant riots that flared up across the UK in August, the royal said he felt a “sense of pride” when communities came together in its aftermath with a spirit of harmony and to “repair”.

“To repair not just buildings, but relationships. And, most importantly, to repair trust; by listening and, through understanding, deciding how to act for the good of all,” he said.

“But, on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict — in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere — pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods…The example that Jesus gave us is timeless and universal. It is to enter the world of those who suffer, to make a difference to their lives and so bring hope where there is despair,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the King and Queen Camilla were joined by Prince William and Kate and their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — and other senior royals for the Christmas Day service at Sandringham in Norfolk, eastern England.

Excited crowds gathered as the family made the customary walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the royal estate.

Britain’s King Charles speaks with Reverend Canon Dr Paul Williams, as Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte leave the church, on the day of the Royal Family’s Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene’s church, as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain on December 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

King Charles III used his annual Christmas message Wednesday (December 25, 2024) to hail the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year, after both were diagnosed with cancer.

The 76-year-old monarch said he and his family are “continually” impressed by those who dedicate their lives to helping others.

“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” he said in a prerecorded speech.

The broadcast came several hours after the monarch waved to a large crowd of onlookers who traditionally gather to see the royal family attend Christmas Day services at a church on Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a family retreat for generations.

The King walked with Queen Camilla as his eldest son, Prince William, Kate and their three children followed. The King’s daughter-in-law, who has slowly returned to public duties after completing chemotherapy, hugged a cancer patient after the service.

Two of Charles’ siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, were also in the procession.

Notably absent at St. Mary Magdalene Church was Prince Andrew. The King’s 64-year-old brother has retreated further into the shadows amid news that a Chinese businessman had been barred from the U.K. because of concerns he cultivated links with Andrew on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has become a constant source of tabloid fodder because of his money woes and links to questionable characters, including the late American financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Even after stepping back from public duties, Andrew has continued to appear at family events and his absence from Sandringham suggests a further retreat from the public eye. The King has been under pressure to distance Andrew from the royal family to avoid further embarrassment to the monarchy.

While Andrew said he never discussed anything sensitive with the suspected Chinese spy and had ceased contact with the man as soon as concerns were raised, the scandal raises further questions about his judgment and distracts from the work of the royal family, said Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?’’

“The reason why this is a problem for the King is simply that the King is trying to rebrand the monarchy at the moment, centering its focus around him, but also around William, Catherine, what they are trying to do,” Owens said.

“It’s been a very difficult year for the monarchy, not least because of the two cancer diagnoses. And all the positive headlines that the King has been trying to generate of late, unfortunately, are overshadowed by the behavior, the reckless behavior, of his younger brother, who once again finds himself in the headlines.”

The King’s Christmas speech is the third since he ascended the throne after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, but the first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.

The monarch’s holiday message is watched by millions of people in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth, with many households timing Christmas lunch around it.

The King’s treatment, which is believed to be ongoing, forced him to step away from public appearances for two months. He has slowly returned to public life in recent months and was in good spirits on a tour of Australia and the South Pacific in October.

A few weeks after Charles began treatment, the Princess of Wales announced her own cancer diagnosis, which sidelined her for much of the year.

In a voiceover for her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, which was recorded this month but broadcast on Tuesday evening, Kate also reflected on the love and support that she received.

“The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others,” she said. “It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.”

Charles spoke at the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London, which was part of the now-demolished Middlesex Hospital where his first wife, Diana, opened London’s first dedicated ward for those with AIDS.

The King had tasked the team organizing the broadcast with finding a site away from the royal estate, and one with health connections, a strong community presence and a place of solace and reflection for those with or without faith.

It’s a rare occasion when the monarch’s Christmas message is not recorded at a royal residence, notably Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. The last time his late mother recorded her message outside the royal estate was in 2006.

Charles also paid his respect to World War II troops who perished on the beaches of northern France as well as the few remaining veterans, many of them centenarians, who attended the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in June.

He said it was an “enormous privilege” to meet “the remarkable veterans of that very special generation who gave of themselves so courageously on behalf of us all” but that the specter of war was haunting the world this Christmas.

“During previous commemorations, we were able to console ourselves with the thought that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era,” he said. “But on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods.”

On the domestic front, the King expressed his “deep sense of pride” for communities that came together after riots broke out in many towns and cities in the summer following a stabbing rampage at a dance class that left three girls dead and several wounded.

On December 20, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall to celebrate community cohesion in East London. During the event, the royal couple interacted with a diverse group of attendees, including young people, emergency service workers, community volunteers, and representatives from various faiths.

The event featured a light-hearted moment when Indian-origin man Harvinder Rattan, greeted the King with a question: “Your Majesty, good morning, how are you?” King Charles responded humorously, saying, “I’m still alive,” prompting laughter from the attendees. 

The royal couple’s visit to the town hall came a day after a pre-Christmas lunch hosted at Buckingham Palace on December 19 for the extended royal family. This annual tradition serves as a chance for the family to gather and celebrate ahead of the holiday season.

Watch the video here:

At the Waltham Forest Town Hall reception, the King and Queen Consort connected with attendees from diverse backgrounds through numerous interactions. Highlights from the event were also featured in a video shared on YouTube by The Royal Family Channel.

This interaction took place against the backdrop of King Charles’s ongoing health challenges. Earlier this year, Buckingham Palace disclosed that the King had been diagnosed with cancer. A palace source quoted by People shared, “His treatment has been progressing positively, and as a managed condition, the treatment cycle will continue into next year.”

At the event, Queen Camilla made a meaningful gesture by donating toys to children residing in asylum hotels. After watching a performance by a children’s choir, the King brought a touch of humor by joking about their “poor teachers” and urging them to fully enjoy the Christmas break.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Britain’s King Charles is on a personal visit to Bengaluru.

King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis will not prevent him flying abroad next year for foreign visits, a Buckingham Palace official said, as the monarch wrapped up a tour of Australia and Samoa.

“We’re now working on a pretty normal looking full overseas tour programme for next year, which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms,” the official said late Saturday.

King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed cancer earlier this year but doctors agreed he could pause his treatment to allow him to travel to Australia and Samoa.

The palace announced in April that he would make a limited return to public duties, as doctors were “very encouraged” by his progress.

The official added that the king had “thrived” on the tour’s programme which had lifted “his spirits, his mood and his recovery”.

“In that sense, the tour, despite its demands, has been the perfect tonic,” he added.

The tour was King Charles’ first to Australia, where he is also head of state, since he became king following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

King Charles and Queen Camilla left Samoa Saturday after the marathon 11-day tour that saw the king carry out more than 30 engagements.

The royal couple visited Sydney, Canberra and the Samoan capital Apia, where King Charles attended a meeting of Commonwealth nations.

The 56-nation bloc — made up mostly of British ex-colonies — had hoped to focus on a future threatened by climate change, but instead bickered over a troubled past marked by slavery and colonisation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

King Charles III told a summit of Commonwealth countries in Samoa on Friday (October 25, 2024) that the past could not be changed as he indirectly acknowledged calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for a reckoning over its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

The British royal understood “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate,” he told leaders in Apia. But King Charles stopped short of mentioning financial reparations that some leaders at the event have urged and instead exhorted them to find the “right language” and an understanding of history “to guide us towards making the right choices in future where inequality exists.”

Also read: Should America pay reparations for slavery?

“None of us can change the past but we can commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right the inequalities that endure,” said King Charles, who is attending his first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as Britain’s head of state.

His remarks at the summit’s official opening ceremony echoed comments a day earlier by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the meeting should avoid becoming mired in the past and “very, very long endless discussions about reparations.” The U.K. leader dismissed calls from Caribbean countries for leaders at the biennial event to explicitly discuss redress for Britain’s role in the slave trade and mention the matter in its final joint statement.

But Britain’s handling of its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seen by many observers as a litmus test for the Commonwealth’s adaptation to a modern-day world, as other European nations and some British institutions have started to own up to their role in the trade.

“I think the time has come for this to be taken seriously,” said Jacqueline McKenzie, a partner at London law firm Leigh Day. “Nobody expects people to pay every single penny for what happened. But I think there needs to be negotiations.”

Such a policy would be costly and divisive at home, Ms. McKenzie said.

The U.K. has never formally apologized for its role in the trade, in which millions of African citizens were kidnapped and transported to plantations in the Caribbean and Americas over several centuries, enriching many individuals and companies. Studies estimate Britain would owe between hundreds of millions and trillions of dollars in compensation to descendants of slaves.

The Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis on Thursday said he wanted a “frank” discussion with Starmer about the matter and would seek mention of the reparations issue in the leaders’ final statement at the event. All three candidates to be the next Commonwealth Secretary-General — from Gambia, Ghana and Lesotho — have endorsed policies of reparatory justice for slavery.

Mr. Starmer said Thursday in remarks to reporters that the matter would not be on the summit’s agenda. But Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland told The Associated Press in an interview that leaders “will speak about absolutely anything they want to speak about” at an all-day private meeting scheduled for Saturday.

King Charles said in Friday’s speech that nothing would right inequality “more decisively than to champion the principle that our Commonwealth is one of genuine opportunity for all.” The monarch urged leaders to “choose within our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of division.”

He has expressed “sorrow” over slavery at a CHOGM summit before, in 2022, and last year endorsed a probe into the monarchy’s ties to the industry.

King Charles — who is battling cancer — and his wife, Queen Camilla, will return to Britain tomorrow after visiting Samoa and Australia — where his presence prompted a lawmaker’s protest over his country’s colonial legacy.

He acknowledged Friday that the Commonwealth had mattered “a great deal” his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, who was seen as a unifying figure among the body’s at times disparate and divergent states.

The row over reparations threatened to overshadow a summit that Pacific leaders — and the Commonwealth secretariat — hoped would focus squarely on the ruinous effects of climate change.

“We are well past believing it is a problem for the future since it is already undermining the development we have long fought for,” the king said Friday. “This year alone we have seen terrifying storms in the Caribbean, devastating flooding in East Africa and catastrophic wildfires in Canada. Lives, livelihood and human rights are at-risk across the Commonwealth.”

King Charles offered “every encouragement for action with unequivocal determination to arrest rising temperatures” by cutting emissions, building resilience, and conserving and restoring nature on land and at sea, he said.

Samoa is the first Pacific Island nation to host the event, and Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa said in a speech Friday that it was “a great opportunity for all to experience our lived reality, especially with climate change,” which was “the greatest threat to the survival and security of our Pacific people.”

Two dozen small island nations are among CHOGM’s 56 member states, among them the world’s most imperiled by rising seas. Her remarks came as the United Nations released a stark new report warning that the world was on pace for significantly more warming than expected without immediate climate action.

The population of the member nations of the 75-year-old Commonwealth organization totals 2.7 billion people.

Apia, Samoa:

Britain’s King Charles faced calls to reckon with his country’s colonial past Friday, as a summit of Commonwealth allies turned into a factious debate about the legacy of slavery and empire.

Leaders from the 56-nation Commonwealth — made up mostly of British ex-colonies — gathered for a summit in Samoa, hoping to prove the bloc is still relevant.

But instead of uniting to tackle pressing issues like climate change, Charles III’s maiden summit as king has been overshadowed by history.

Many African, Caribbean and Pacific nations want to see Britain — and other European powers — pay financial compensation for slavery, or to at least make political amends.

They want this summit in particular to commit to a discussion on the topic of reparatory justice — a debate Britain’s cash-strapped government has tried to stymie.

The Bahamas’ Prime Minister Philip Davis told AFP that a debate about the past was vital.

“The time has come to have a real dialogue about how we address these historical wrongs,” he said.

“Reparatory justice is not an easy conversation, but it’s an important one,” Davis added.

“The horrors of slavery left a deep, generational wound in our communities, and the fight for justice and reparatory justice is far from over”.

The British royal family, which benefited from the slave trade over centuries, has also faced calls to apologise.

But the monarch stopped well short of that on Friday, asking summit attendees to “reject the language of division”.

“I understand, from listening to people across the Commonwealth, how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate,” he said.

“None of us can change the past. But we can commit, with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure.”

‘Honesty and integrity’

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly rejected calls to pay reparations, and aides have ruled out an apology at the summit.

A draft summit communique calling for debate on colonialism is the subject of fierce negotiations.

One diplomatic source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that developed countries were trying to water down the language in the final communique.

“The call for reparations isn’t simply about financial compensation; it’s about recognising the enduring impact of centuries of exploitation and ensuring that the legacy of slavery is addressed with honesty and integrity,” Davis insisted.

Joshua Setipa from Lesotho — who is one of three candidates vying to be the next Commonwealth’s secretary-general — said reparations could include non-traditional forms of payment such as climate financing.

“We can find a solution that will begin to address some injustices of the past and put them in the context happening around us today,” he told AFP ahead of the summit.

Kingsley Abbott, Director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London said the apparent inclusion of the text on reparatory justice was a “significant advancement” for the Commonwealth.

He told AFP it “reveals the door to meaningful dialogue is opening”.

The British monarch is concluding an 11-day tour of Australia and Samoa, both independent Commonwealth states — the first major foreign trip since his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Apia, Samoa:

King Charles III took part in a traditional kava-drinking ceremony before a line of bare-chested, heavily tattooed Samoans and was declared a “high chief” of the one-time Pacific island colony Thursday.

The British monarch is on an 11-day tour of Australia and Samoa, both independent Commonwealth states — the first major foreign trip since his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Wearing a white safari-style suit, the 75-year-old king sat at the head of a carved timber longhouse where he was presented with a polished half-coconut filled with a narcotic kava brew.

The peppery, slightly intoxicating root drink is a key part of Pacific culture and is known locally as “ava”.

The kava roots were paraded around the marquee, prepared by the chief’s daughter and filtered through a sieve made of dried bark.

Once ready, a Samoan man screamed as he decanted the drink, which was finally presented to the king.

Charles uttered the words: “May God Bless this ava” before lifting it to his lips.

Charles’s wife, Queen Camilla sat beside him, fanning herself to ease the stiffing tropical humidity.

High Chief

Many Samoans are excited to host the king — his first-ever visit to the Pacific Island nation that was once a British colony.

The royal couple visited the village of Moata’a where Charles was made “Tui Taumeasina” or high chief.

“Everyone has taken to our heart and is looking forward to welcoming the king,” local chief Lenatai Victor Tamapua told AFP ahead of the visit.

“We feel honoured that he has chosen to be welcomed here in our village. So as a gift, we would like to bestow him a title.”

Tamapua raised the issue of climate change and showed the king and queen around the local mangroves.

“The high tides is just chewing away on our reef and where the mangroves are,” he told AFP, adding that food sources and communities were being washed away or inundated.

“Our community relies on the mangrove area for mud crab and fishes, but since, the tide has risen over the past 20 years by about two or three metres (up to 10 feet).”

The king is also in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and will address a leaders’ banquet on Friday.

Colonialism and climate

The legacy of empire looms large at the meeting.

Commonwealth leaders will select a new secretary-general nominated from an African country –- in line with regional rotations of the position.

All three likely candidates have called publicly for reparations for slavery and colonialism.

One of the three, Joshua Setipa from Lesotho, told AFP that the resolution could include non-traditional forms of payment such as climate financing.

“We can find a solution that will begin to address some injustices of the past and put them in the context happening around us today,” he said.

Climate change features heavily on the agenda.

Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Fiji have backed calls for a “fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty” — essentially calling for Australia, Britain and Canada to do more to lower emissions.

Pacific leaders argue the trio of “big countries” have historically accounted for over 60 percent of the 56-nation Commonwealth’s emissions from fossil fuels.

Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change Ralph Regenvanu called on other nations to join the treaty.

“As a Commonwealth family, we look to those that dominate fossil fuel production in the Commonwealth to stop the expansion of fossil fuels in order to protect what we love and hold dear here in the Pacific,” he said.

Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong said her gas and mineral-rich nation was working to be cleaner.

“We know we have a lot of work to do, and I’ve been upfront with every partner in the Pacific,” she said.

Pacific island nations — once seen as the embodiment of palm-fringed paradise — are now among the most climate-threatened areas of the planet.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)