Queen Elizabeth II enters new stage of reign following Prince Philip's death amid criticism of the monarchy

With the death of Prince Philip, all eyes are on Queen Elizabeth II as she enters a new stage of her reign amid criticism of the usefulness of the monarchy in the modern day.

That has triggered speculation about how long she will remain on the throne, what the monarchy will look like in the future and, for some, even whether it should continue to exist. "The queen is certainly moving now into the twilight of her reign and a new phase of her reign,’’ Anna Whitelock, director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London told The Associated Press. "She now is a widow, and it remains to be seen how she’s going to respond to that.’’ While most observers say the queen is unlikely to abdicate given her lifelong commitment to public service, she has already started to turn over more responsibilities to Prince Charles, 72, her eldest son. That process is likely to accelerate following Philip’s death.