[7] Her ancestors originated from Pendueles (Llanes, Asturias)[8] and her maternal uncles were Joaquín and Lorenzo Fernandez Cortina, the former the bishop of Sigüenza and the latter the canónigo in Jaén.

[38] Sáenz inherited political outlook from his father, who was an active Carlist and in the 1890s formed part of the local party executive, Junta Provincial de Jaén.

He served as "corresponsal de esta Diócesis"[44] and later as secretario of Junta Diocesana, entrusted e.g. with collecting money for various projects;[45] as the representative of Jaén he attended Congreso Católico in Zaragoza,[46] and remained engaged in other local activities.

[51] In the mid-1890s he was also admitted as member-correspondent to Real Academia de la Historia[52] (unclear on what basis)[53] and friendly titles referred to him as "joven abogado é ilustrado periodista".

[54] Though since the mid-1890s Sáenz shuttled between Jaén and Madrid, where he established his primary residence, in 1896 he launched another Andalusian publishing project, the weekly El Libertador; this time it was based in Ubeda.

The weekly was managed mostly by Fernando del Moral Almagro and like El Norte Andaluz it was also a simple, 4-page print on 4-columns; the content was somewhat more diverse, with religious issues discussed along national or local news and a cultural column present.

[61] In Traditionalist party press he was listed among prominent figures when taking part in local events, e.g. in the funeral of marquesa de Cerralbo, wife to the Carlist national leader.

[62] However, in official structures of the Carlist organization, at the time named Comunión Católico-Monárquica, he double-hatted; apart from duties in Madrid he remained also member of the Jaén executive, until the early 1900s headed by Eusebio Sanchez Perez.

[65] In his native Jaén, apart from shares in the family banking business, together with brothers he owned a large plant, producing olive oil,[66] and an Eléctrica de San Rafael hydro-power installation on the Guadalquivir.

[69] Around 1905 he engaged also in mining industry; he applied for license for exploring iron ore near Llanes, in the pit known as "La Especial"[70] and located at estates owned with his wife, also on the banks of Purón.

[80] In 1908 the Carlist deputy to the Cortes from Navarre, Eduardo Castillo de Pineyro, died; in such case the electoral regime required by-elections to nominate his replacement.

[82] There was limited interest among the electors, as only 3.622 of 11.028 bothered to vote, yet 99% preferred Sáenz[83] over his liberal and government-supported counter-candidate, Mariano Aisa y Cabrerizo, barón de la Torre.

[84] His mandate lasted barely 2 years before the parliament term expired in 1910; during this time he was reported in the press as co-fathering an amendment to law on railways,[85] delivering a speech on budgetary contribution to refurbishment of churches[86] and on operations of the post office.

[87] In the late 1900s Sáenz as a Cortes deputy featured in numerous Carlist propaganda events,[88] e.g. in 1908 Santander[89] or in 1909 in Palencia;[90] in 1909 he attended the funeral of the claimant in Trieste.

[93] Following very fierce competition initially he was declared triumphant over his liberal counter-candidate Salvador Guardiola,[94] but the latter protested numerous irregularities;[95] they ranged from women bullying their husbands[96] to plain corruption.

[100] However, at the time the Carlist grip on the region, evident mostly in the early 1900s, was already less firm, due to the pursued strategy of pivotal alliances and the resulting bewilderment of the electorate.

[114] None of the sources consulted provides clarification, and in particular it is not clear whether his decision was conditioned by growing internal division within Carlism, increasingly divided between followers of the key theorist Juan Vázquez de Mella and these supporting the king, Don Jaime.

[116] With Don Jaime incomunicado in his house arrest in Austria, Junta Nacional was increasingly paralyzed; Sáenz "continuaría con la vía restrictiva ortodoxia jaimista".

[119] In late 1919 Sáenz attended so-called Magna Junta de Biarritz, a grand congregation of leaders who remained loyal to Don Jaime; the purpose was to set the course for the future.

[124] In 1920 the ownership structure changed, as El Correo became the property of newly established Editorial Tradicionalista publishing house; he called to buy shares of the company.

[127] In 1923 Sáenz was nominated vice-president (presidency went to Rodezno) of special committee, supposed to propose re-organization scheme for Comunión Jaimista;[128] however, the advent of Primo dictatorship in 1923 brought political life to a standstill.

[134] In the late 1920s and on explicit orders from the claimant, Sáenz commenced efforts to launch a newspaper which would serve as an unofficial party mouthpiece, possibly a continuation of El Correo Español.

[142] In 1930 Sáenz went on as the leader of Castilla La Nueva,[143] taking part in meetings,[144] making statements[145] or acting as honorary president of local circulos.

[149] Sáenz did not enter Comisión Gestora, entrusted with the task;[150] reasons are not entirely clear, though he might have been embittered having invested own money in El Cruzado 2 years earlier.

[154] Though in 1932 El Cruzado turned from weekly to bi-weekly[155] and changed its sub-title from "semanario defensor de la Comunión Católico-Monárquica" to "Dios, Patria, Rey", it found itself sort of sidetracked.

[157] To much surprise, he did not accept the nomination and quoting health reasons[158] he resigned all 3 functions: co-president of Junta Suprema,[159] president of its comisión ejecutiva, and Jefe Regional of New Castile.

[171] It is not clear whether Sáenz was present, yet it was his motion that was declared as allegedly adopted by so-called Asamblea de Tolouse;[172] it claimed that if nomination of a successor does not take place, Don Alfonso Carlos organizes a grand assembly, which in turn would determine who the next king would be.

[174] Maintaining very correct tone and commencing with "mi querido Don Lorenzo Sáenz",[175] the claimant nevertheless tried to convince the addressees that they should remain fully loyal, even in case he decides to seek understanding with the deposed Alfonso XIII;[176] he also demanded that El Cruzado ceases its somewhat rebellious campaign.

[184] In August 1936 a Santander-based newspaper published a note about concealed firearms, reportedly discovered by Republican security in Palacio Sinforiano in Llanes, "que ha venido occupando su pariente don Lorenzo Sáenz y Fernandez-Cortina, con residencia in Madrid", yet there was no news about him having been prosecuted.

[185] In June 1938, when Asturias was already under the Nationalist control, the Llanos municipal judge was dealing with some financial claims involving Sáenz, and referred to him as "residente en la Ciudad de Jaén, zona roja".