Stanley’s Godmother was cooler than your Godmother.

Grandpa Stan’s history is quite interesting, and it began at a very early age – birth to be exact.

I knew there was some sort of Princess story in the family, but never fully paid it much attention… until I found an old newspaper glued to a piece of paper – that young Stanley Golden face looking up at me from the photograph.

I could never quite originate where the article came from, but it discusses his Godmother, and how she came to be.

I have written the article below:

Canadian Boy Living here has Austrian Princess for Godmother

Five-year-old John Stanley Golden, son of Mr. & Mrs. J.T. Golden of 1512 Sixth Street North, is a Canadian baby who can boast a princess for a grandmother (mistake by author… Godmother), and an Austrian princess at that. This is how it happened: The Goldens, both of whom are Canadian-born, lived in Winnipeg until 18 months ago. Five years ago Mrs. Golden gave birth to her first child in the Misericordia Maternity Hospital there. Visiting the sisters at the time was a mysterious lady known as Mrs. Fraser.

A Princess if you Please. “She looked” said Mrs. Golden, “like a queen; tall and stately, with the loveliest clothes and jewels, masses of pretty brown hair, and the sweetest smile. She used to come and talk to me a lot, and when John Stanley was born she asked me to let her be his godmother. She showed me a picture of four lovely children, her own, all of whom had died and she cried and said that my baby reminded her of one of them. Well, the Christening took place, and when she stood up as his godmother she gave her name as the Princess Von Arenberg und Hunasycz of Hunz Castle, Transylvania, Hungary.

Princess Exacts a Promise. “She told me all about it afterwards. She was of Scotch birth, but had married an Austrian Prince, and they were traveling together through Canada. Her husband was detained in the East for a time and she went on to Winnipeg incognito to wait for him, and she preferred to stay with the sisters at the hospital rather than go to a hotel alone. “Well, she was just lovely to John and me all the time we were there and made me promise to have pictures taken of him from time to time and send to her. Her husband came for her soon after. They disclosed their identity and went to stay in the vice-regal suite of the Royal Alexandra Hotel”.

Mrs. Golden said regretfully that she had never seen the princess since. “But I shall never forget her goodness, ” she declared. “And I’m going to keep my promise to send her pictures of John”.

The photograph shown here is the first the princess will receive of her little Canadian godson.

How ’bout them apples?

And then grandpa turned into a beautiful princess!
har har.

I was excited to find the original article was published in the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, Sunday March 12th 1916. With thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society Archives and their archived newspaper collection.

To verify that this entire article wasn’t some sham, or that Great Grandmama Golden wasn’t tangled with Sargon, I sent away for Grandpa’s Baptism Certificate.

The certificate arrived via Canada Post from Winnipeg. I am a tad disappointed with the quality. You’d think, in todays day and age you could simply scan an item, save it as a .pdf and email it. However, this was not the case. After paying $15.00, I received a small, blurry photocopied version.  I felt a bit ripped off. This isn’t even something you could properly frame or display. Anyway – it does indicate that she was, indeed there, and is listed as his Godmother!

And look what else was kicking around! Fairly certain this was her business card.

So who is this Princess?!

I still cannot find any information regarding her. If anyone has an ideas, or knows some history – please, leave a comment.

However it may be, Stanley’s Godmother was cooler than your Godmother.