I am sad to tell you that Graham Avery has died.
Among his various achievements and posts, Graham Avery CMG FLS was a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London; Honorary Director-General of the European Commission, Brussels; Visiting Fellow at the European University Institute, Florence; Honorary Director-General of the European Commission, Brussels; a Senior Member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford University; Secretary General of the Trans European Policy Studies Association; Fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University; Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, Florence; and author of many learned papers. Graham Avery was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2012 New Year Honours for his services to European affairs, recognition during his distinguished career as the Director of the European Commission in Brussels and his extensive work focusing on European enlargement and international relations.
Graham’s interest in Clarence arose from his interest in botany, in particular the flowers and plants of the Alps. His research into Reginald Farrer (1880 –1920), traveller and plant collector brought him in 2012 to Clarence’s Casa Fontanalba Visitors’ Book, which I had published online in 2005, and the realisation that Farrer and Bicknell had met there. Since then he has been a life-member and Vice-Chairman of the Clarence Bicknell Association and fundamental to our efforts in researching and promulgating Clarence’s various endeavours. He has been so great for the Clarence efforts, especially his research for Valerie Lester’s 2018 biography MARVELS, the Life of Clarence Bicknell. For decades, as an enlightened amateur botanist, he walked the Alps, including those which Clarence knew. He has developed a knowledge of some of the other parts of the Alps where Clarence studied the flora and has provided original research from other parts of Italy, France and the UK, much of which is published in his own name, for example on our web site’s documents page.
He has lived in Brussels and Florence while maintaining his home base in Oxford where he passed away. We were privileged to have him as a friend and as a supporter of Clarence Bicknell’s legacy. I will sorely miss him, his contributions and his encouragements.
Marcus Bicknell. 6 June 2026
