'In the hours after the news from Balmoral, I walked through St James’s Park, joining little streams of others converging on Buckingham Palace. Reaching the road, we found many more coming down the Mall. Before us was the Victoria Memorial, already occupied by a crowd of young men and women, and, beyond that, the Palace, lit up as it had been only two months before for the Platinum Jubilee. Then it was the backdrop for lively celebration; tonight, it was the silent symbol of the monarchy that is our nation’s stay and strength,' so writes our columnist Agromenes in today's Country Life. 'In the fading light and the gentle rain were hundreds and hundreds of people — many in their twenties and thirties — in suits and ties, work clothes and T-shirts. They had come, as we came, because they felt they had to do something to say "Thank you".' Agro's tribute is just one of the articles in this week's Country Life, as we have a 32-page section celebrating the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The royal biographer Matthew Dennison writes a heartfelt obituary, while we also look at how the world changed during her tumultuous seven decades on the throne. We'll also be publishing a separate 116-page commemorative magazine about The Queen's life, which will be on sale imminently. - - - #thequeen #countrylifemagazine