Luis Hernando de Larramendi Ruiz (September 27, 1882 – 1957) was a Spanish Carlist politician and theorist. Though his term as a party jefe was rather short (1919-1921), he stands out as monumental figure in history of the 20th-century Carlism, remaining among its leaders for some 40 years and taking part in decision-making process from the mid-1910s until the mid-1950s. As author he is recognized for his 1937 work, El sistema tradicional, an orthodox lecture of Traditionalism.
Family and youth
Luis’ paternal family was related to Old Castile; one of his ancestors gained recognition as member of the Cura Merino unit, fighting the French during the War of Independence; he served under the same commander also during the First Carlist War. Later on the family found itself on the descendant path and Luis’ grandparents were referred to as "laboradores modestos". His father, Mariano Hernando Ruiz (1861-1913), originated from Riaza in the province of Segovia; he studied medicine but upon graduating has never practiced; instead, he made a living by trading arts, mostly paintings and sculptures. Heavily engaged in preparing the Spanish pavilion for the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889, apart from presenting art he also co-ordinated works related to construction of a bullring in the Trocadero park. He has never made it to the affluent bourgeoisie strata and back in Madrid suffered financial problems, living first at Calle Ancha de San Bernardo and then at Calle Lista. Mariano Hernando married Maria Cuadrado, with whom he had 3 children. Upon her premature death he remarried with Luisa Larramendi Serrano, also a madrileña though of Alavese origins. The couple had 6 children, Luis born as the oldest of the siblings and the only son.
The young Luis was first educated at the Madrid Instituto de San Isídro, a prestigious Jesuit establishment with long distinguished record; it is there where he got his baccalaureate and where he made acquaintances, some of them later public figures like Luis Urquijo, marqués de Amurrio. However, it is also at the college where despite his penchant for letters he ran into problems with the teacher of Retórica y Poética, resulting in Luis’ later lukewarm attitude towards the Jesuits and formal education. At unspecified date he entered Facultad de Derecho at Universidad de Madrid; not averse towards bohemian lifestyle, he befriended the likes of Alejandro Sawa and Ramón Valle Inclán. Date of graduation is not known, apart that it was prior to 1905; at that time he was already practicing law as an intern, to open his own law office later on. In honor of his maternal family Luis got his name changed from Hernando y Larramendi to Hernando de Larramendi y Ruiz.
During his academic years Larramendi met a sister of his university colleague Mariano de Montiano, María de Montiano y Uriarte (1886-1976), originating from Bilbao. Daughter of a physician, descendant to a noble prestigious family and considered the most handsome girl in the city, she was also fanatically Basque. They married at unspecified time, though prior to 1904; he tended to be quiet and unassuming, she was also introvert, but of a decisive and bold character. The couple settled at Calle Valázquez; they had 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls. The oldest son, Ignacio Hernando de Larramendi, became known nationwide as longtime manager and the moving spirit behind MAPFRE, a corporate insurance giant; other children did not grow to prominence nationwide. Luis' grandson, Luis Hernando de Larramendi y Martínez, took part in numerous Carlist activities of the early 21st century.
Early public career (prior to 1912)
Mariano Hernando was not a Carlist; it was thanks to the influence of his paternal grandfather that during his childhood and youth Luis embraced Carlism. When at the university he befriended a number of Traditionalist-minded students like conde Rodezno, conde de Doña Marina and Rafael Díaz Aguado Salaberry; together with them in the first decade of the 20th century he was active in Juventud Carlista and Congregación de los Luises, a Jesuit youth organization. In 1904 he was briefly editor-in-chief of an ephemeral Carlist daily El Correo de Guipúzcoa, though it is not clear whether he lived in San Sebastián at that time. In Madrid he gained recognition in 1905 becoming secretary of Sección de Ciencias Historicas of Ateneo de Madrid, though principally as a young and successful lawyer, involved in cases gaining wider publicity.