Tonga: There are bigger issues to talk about than Prince Charles

The issue of who will succeed the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth has been much discussed at the summit of leaders today.

She has made it clear she wants her son, Prince Charles, to lead this organisation when she no longer can.

But while there has yet to be a country willing to disoblige the Queen, the Pacific nation of Tonga wants the summit to refocus on a matter much larger than who should be the Commonwealth's next Head: climate change.

Tevita Tu'i Uata, Tonga's trade minister, told ITV News that people in his country "are drowning" because for this tiny Pacific island state, rising sea levels are a real and pressing threat.

"Maybe sorting out who is going to lead the Commonwealth maybe also an issue, but it's not as pressing an issue to [Tonga] as taking care of climate change," he said.

On Friday in Windsor, the leaders will agree a joint communiqué and they hope to sign a "Blue Charter" to give better protection to the world’s Oceans.

Given Prince Charles' well-documented concerns about global warming, he is unlikely to disagree on that point whatever they decide about who should lead the Commonwealth of 53 countries after the Queen.