The Heartbreaking Truth About Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s Love Story

Not all epic love stories are long.

Even decades after his passing, Elvis Presley and his wife, Priscilla, are still remembered as a couple. The video of them dancing at their 1967 wedding remains famous, and family photos with their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, are especially poignant now.

Although their happy times eventually ended, Priscilla dedicated decades after Elvis’s death in 1977 to preserving his memory. She transformed Graceland into a famous tourist attraction and kept the Memphis estate within the family.

After Lisa Marie’s passing in 2023, her daughter, Riley Keough, now owns Graceland. Eventually, Priscilla Presley will be buried there, next to her late husband, their daughter Lisa Marie, and grandson Benjamin Keough, who tragically died in 2020.

Despite Elvis Presley having been born 91 years ago on January 8th, rumors continue to circulate that he is still alive.

Last year, Priscilla, now 80, told People magazine that she’s heard many untrue rumors, like the one about Elvis still being alive in hiding. She added, with a touch of sadness, that she truly wishes he were still here.

Despite their divorce, Priscilla continued to love Elvis deeply.

How did Priscilla Presley meet Elvis Presley?

Priscilla Beaulieu was just 14 years old when she met Elvis Presley, then 24, at a party in West Germany in September 1959.

Priscilla’s father, Navy pilot James Wagner, passed away in a plane crash when she was just six months old. Her mother, Ann, later married Air Force Captain Paul Beaulieu. The family, including Priscilla and her five younger half-siblings, frequently moved due to their parents’ military careers, with Wiesbaden being their most recent location.

In March 1958, Elvis Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army. While many saw it as a normal part of life, the popular singer feared it would harm his rapidly growing career.

Less than a year and a half after his electrifying appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show – an appearance that thrilled fans and shocked some traditionalists with his energetic moves – he’d already become a massive success, selling millions of records and buying his famous 18-room home, Graceland, in Memphis.

Oh, he was just… larger than life, always! Everything about him was over the top – the way he decorated his house, those incredible outfits he had made… but underneath all that, he was a total mama’s boy. He really believed in old-fashioned manners, especially when it came to how a woman should act, even if he was a bit of a playful guy himself. But losing his mom, Gladys… that just destroyed him. It happened on August 14th, 1958, and she was so young, only 46. Everyone who knew him said he never truly recovered from that. It just broke my heart every time I thought about it.

In a 1985 interview with People magazine, timed with the publication of her memoir Elvis and Me, Priscilla Presley described meeting Elvis at the house he was renting near the Army base in Bad Nauheim, Germany. He asked her what grade she was in, and when she said ninth grade, he playfully called her “just a baby.”

I’ll never forget it. He just casually walked over to the piano and started to sing. Priscilla recalled how she noticed Elvis trying to get her attention, and it was so interesting! The less she reacted, the more intensely he seemed to sing to her. She honestly couldn’t believe Elvis Presley was trying to impress her with a song – it was incredible!

She recalled later telling UPI that she’d worn a simple sailor dress that night, because she found it hard to believe she was actually going to meet Elvis.

Priscilla went back to his house a couple more times. On the third visit, he asked her to come upstairs with him, alone. She told People that he promised her, ‘I swear I won’t hurt you. I’ll treat you like a sister.’

When did Elvis Presley start dating Priscilla?

Priscilla’s parents strongly disapproved of her relationship, but when they realized she wasn’t going to end it, her stepfather agreed to meet the man she was seeing. Elvis arrived for dinner wearing his military uniform, and Priscilla’s stepfather directly asked him: What are your intentions?

Priscilla recalled Elvis telling her father, ‘I’m very fond of her. She’s surprisingly mature for her age, and I really enjoy spending time with her.’ He explained that being on the road was lonely and he needed someone to confide in. He reassured her father, ‘You don’t need to worry about her, Captain. I’ll look after her.’

Priscilla shared with People magazine that despite not being physically intimate, she and Elvis had a very close connection. He’d been raised with the idea that a ‘proper’ woman should be saved for marriage, and he saw her as that person. At the same time, he carefully shaped her image, choosing her clothes, hair, and makeup to create the woman he wanted her to be.

Early on, she also started to resent having to share him with so many admirers.

She told People magazine that she only felt truly happy late in the evening, when she and Mark were alone in his bedroom. She described how they would spend hours kissing and talking. Priscilla has always said they waited until their wedding night to have sex.

She began to struggle in school, and one night, her father offered her some pills to help her stay focused the next day. She refused, later learning they were Dexedrine—a type of amphetamine—which Elvis had started using during his time in the Army.

When did Elvis Presley and Priscilla reunite after meeting in Germany?

When Elvis came back to the U.S. in March 1960, Priscilla found out from the paparazzi that he had already started dating Nancy Sinatra – the first of many famous women he’d be connected to – even before he called her. Three weeks after leaving Germany, he finally contacted her, beginning what she later described to People magazine as a period of anxiously waiting for his rare phone calls.

Priscilla remembered that their contact had been infrequent – sometimes weeks or even months would pass between conversations. They hadn’t seen each other in two years when, in February 1962, Elvis asked her to come visit him in Los Angeles. After getting her father’s permission, he sent her a first-class, round-trip ticket for a two-week trip.

Even though he spent some time comforting her when she arrived, he wouldn’t let her stay the night. He sent someone from his group to drive her to a friend’s house. Priscilla later learned he’d just sent his ex-girlfriend, Anita Wood, back to Memphis because he didn’t want Priscilla around if Anita called late at night.

Even just the trip itself – especially a lavish journey to Las Vegas where Elvis showered her with gifts and made it clear he expected her complete loyalty – was incredibly exciting.

When did Priscilla Presley first move to Graceland?

Priscilla celebrated Christmas in 1962 at Graceland. When she returned to Germany, she told her mother that Elvis wanted her to come live in Memphis to complete her education.

Priscilla could live with his father and stepmother, Elvis told Paul.

Priscilla shared with People magazine that he assured her of his sincere feelings, telling her he loved, needed, and respected her. He even said he couldn’t live without her and hinted at a future marriage. Given his declarations, her parents ultimately felt they had no choice but to give their blessing, and they eventually agreed.

While Priscilla was a student at Immaculate Conception Cathedral High School in Memphis, she did live with Vernon and Dee Presley for a time. However, she spent so much time at Graceland with Elvis that she ended up living there permanently.

You know, I often get asked about traveling with Elvis early on, and people are always shocked my parents allowed it! But things were so different back then. It was a much simpler time, and I genuinely liked him – I always felt completely safe and cared for. Honestly, it’s hard to even compare that era to today. We had a strong sense of values and a level of respect and consideration that feels a bit lost now.

Elvis was incredibly busy making several films each year, often alongside glamorous actresses. While the stories about romantic involvement with his co-stars might have been exaggerated, he didn’t exactly present himself as a committed man either.

Priscilla admitted to Closer Weekly in 2017 that her early years at Graceland felt isolating. Elvis’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, didn’t want anyone to know about their relationship. He worried other fans would stop dreaming of being with Elvis or buying his music if they knew he was already seeing someone. As a result, there weren’t any photos of them together in the house.

Priscilla said Parker was nice to her, but he didn’t want people to think she was the woman he was with.

Despite the unusual circumstances, Elvis would sometimes pick Priscilla up from school in a limousine and even fly her to Los Angeles when he was filming movies. As Priscilla told People magazine in 1978, it was such an extravagant lifestyle that she was grateful to have remained mentally healthy through it all.

Elvis and Priscilla got engaged shortly before Christmas in 1966 at Graceland. He proposed on one knee with a stunning ring designed by Memphis jeweler Harry Levitch – a 3 1/2-carat diamond encircled by 20 smaller diamonds. He never changed his mind about wanting to marry her.

The Original Elvis-Themed Las Vegas Wedding

To keep their wedding as private as possible, Tom arranged for Elvis and Priscilla to fly from Palm Springs to Las Vegas around midnight on May 1, 1967 – their wedding day. Frank Sinatra kindly provided his private jet for the trip.

I’ll never forget hearing about it – they got their marriage license around 3 a.m.! Priscilla was so prepared, she had everything they needed, and they actually got married right there at the Aladdin Hotel, with just 14 people watching. A Nevada Supreme Court Judge, David Zenoff, performed the ceremony. Then, they did a quick press conference and had a champagne breakfast with about 100 guests. Of course, they threw a much bigger celebration later on at Graceland, but that intimate Vegas ceremony was just so…them.

Priscilla described her wedding as very intimate, telling Vogue that she and her husband wanted a private celebration with only their closest friends and family. They specifically avoided a large, public event or anything that felt like a spectacle.

Following the event, Elvis joked, “It was probably overdue. Given how I lived, I figured it was best to hold off.”

What was Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s marriage really like?

Exactly nine months after their wedding, Elvis and Priscilla welcomed their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, on February 1st, 1968, in Memphis. The couple received a royal welcome as they left the hospital, bringing their newborn baby home to Graceland.

According to Priscilla, Elvis was a very loving and devoted father to Lisa Marie. While he believed diaper changing wasn’t a task for men and found it difficult to watch her eat because of the mess, he showed his affection in other ways. He famously bought her a fur coat at age three and gave her five dollars for each lost tooth. He even named his private jet ‘Lisa Marie’ when he purchased it in 1975.

Priscilla explained to People magazine in 1978 that when she was with Elvis, his happiness always came first. She and others made sure not to bother him, and her own concerns took a backseat to his needs.

She also told People magazine that many women were attracted to him, which made her worry when he was out alone. She even accompanied him to routine appointments like dental cleanings, constantly watching out for him because she felt everyone wanted his attention.

As a longtime Elvis fan, I’ve read a lot about his life, and it’s a sadly common theme – many sources suggest that his romantic feelings for Priscilla cooled down after their son was born. It seems things just changed for them after becoming parents.

When Priscilla and Elvis were married, she always made sure to welcome him home and spoil him. She truly enjoyed caring for him – cooking for him, looking after his needs, and even using baby talk, which they developed as a private language with so many people around them. Despite the unusual circumstances, she remembers it as a happy and fulfilling life that was uniquely theirs.

Why did Elvis and Priscilla Presley get divorced?

Elvis was known for being unfaithful, and eventually, Priscilla admitted she also had an affair. She said she tried to overlook his behavior for a while, but she was aware something was going on.

He also struggled more with prescription drug use. Priscilla Presley shared on Good Morning America that a scene in the movie Elvis – where a younger version of herself (played by Olivia DeJonge) urges him to get help for his “dependency” – deeply resonated with her.

Priscilla remembered things becoming increasingly scary as he started to rebel and act out, she said.

Elvis also had a temper, and wasn’t used to anyone telling him no.

Priscilla explained that if her father saw someone he disliked on television, he would react by shooting the TV. He would then ask his own father to buy a new one.

Did Elvis and Priscilla Presley have a friendly divorce?

After their divorce became official in 1973, they surprisingly left the courthouse holding hands. Priscilla was just 28 years old at the time.

Later that year, Priscilla took Lisa Marie to see Elvis perform in Las Vegas. During a spontaneous part of his show – something he’d started doing regularly – Elvis acknowledged his former wife, calling her “a beautiful chick” and telling the audience they were still close friends.

He explained that their divorce wasn’t due to infidelity, but rather the demands of his job. He was traveling constantly and felt it wasn’t fair to his wife.

He playfully mentioned their $2 million divorce agreement, then surprised her with a white mink coat. She, in turn, gifted him a $42,000 Rolls Royce, as he proudly stated.

“That’s the type of relationship we have,” he quipped.

In a 1978 interview with People magazine, Priscilla Presley described how she and Elvis continued to visit Graceland together with their daughter, Lisa Marie, even after their divorce. She explained that they maintained a loving and friendly relationship, often hugging and presenting a united front for Lisa Marie’s sake. They would attribute statements to each other, saying things like ‘Mommy said’ or ‘Daddy said,’ which helped their daughter feel secure and avoid any conflict or resentment.

Reflecting on the past, she told People magazine, “I really treasure those wonderful memories.” She explained that everyone experiences doubts and worries as they grow up, but with age comes understanding.

Sadly, Elvis didn’t live to be very old. His health declined due to a dependence on medication, being surrounded by people who always agreed with him, and a diet heavy in fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches – a combination forever known as “The Elvis.”

The living legend died of a heart attack at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977, when he was only 42.

What happened to Priscilla Presley after Elvis Presley’s death?

Priscilla was heartbroken.

Looking back, we didn’t believe he would survive,” she told Entertainment Tonight in 2017, before the 40th anniversary of Elvis’s passing. “It simply wasn’t something we considered.

She was running errands with her sister when their father called with news: Elvis’s former road manager, Joe Esposito, was trying to reach her.

My first thought was Lisa Marie, because my daughter was supposed to be coming home that day for the start of school, and I was hurrying to get there. I remember running through red lights, feeling incredibly rushed. When I got home, my phone was ringing, and I practically ran inside, fumbling with the key. It was Joe on the phone with the news, and it was so shocking that I immediately went to my room to try and process what had happened. I stayed there until a plane was sent for me.

When the jet arrived, walking into that house and hearing everyone—especially his father, whose grief I’ll never forget, he was absolutely howling—it brought the full weight of the loss crashing down. The experience continues to affect me deeply.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Graceland. After Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley, passed away in 1979, I stepped in as a co-executor of the estate. For decades, until recently after my daughter Lisa Marie’s passing and the estate moved to Riley, I dedicated myself to keeping Graceland open to the public. It’s more than just a home; it’s a place where Elvis, his parents, and grandmother are laid to rest, and a true pilgrimage site for fans. And, of course, Elvis continues to be one of the most financially successful entertainers, even after all these years!

Even if Vernon had given the castle keys to someone else, the incredible feeling of loving such a captivating person wouldn’t simply disappear.

Priscilla shared with Entertainment Tonight in 2017 that this person had a profound influence on her life. She described him as both a mentor and someone she deeply trusted, explaining that she detailed this in her book. She felt completely consumed by him, writing in her book that she practically ‘lived and breathed’ him.

She never remarried, and explained in November during a question-and-answer session at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas that she simply had no desire to.

Oh my gosh, Leslie Nielsen wasn’t always just a hilarious movie star! He actually had a life, a love life! He and Marco Garibaldi were together for like, twenty years, and they had the sweetest son, Navarone, back in ’87. It broke my heart to read they split up in 2006, after all that time… I just adored them as a couple!

She felt she’d already had her defining relationship with Elvis, and no other man could ever compare. As far as husbands went, she considered him irreplaceable.

Priscilla Presley praised Austin Butler’s performance as Elvis in the 2022 film Elvis, sharing on Facebook after a private screening that it was “a brilliantly and creatively told true story that only Baz Luhrmann could have made.”

Priscilla Presley, the only living person with firsthand knowledge of her relationship with Elvis, told Good Morning America in June 2022 that she was happily surprised by Olivia De Jonge’s performance as her in the film. She praised De Jonge for portraying her as sensitive, caring, and also showing a strength in her dynamic with Elvis.

Priscilla confessed that while watching the movie, she found herself wishing her father could have seen it too.

Here’s a guide to Elvis and Priscilla’s family tree:

Elvis Presley was one of the most popular musicians ever, and he remained a huge star even after his death. He passed away unexpectedly in 1977 at the age of 42 from heart problems, which were worsened by his use of prescription drugs.

In 1959, while serving in the U.S. Army in West Germany, 23-year-old Elvis Presley met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu. Though Priscilla has said their relationship remained mostly innocent until she turned 18, she eventually moved to Memphis to finish school. Officially, she lived with Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley, and stepmother, Dee Presley, but she spent most of her time at Graceland.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley wed on May 1, 1967, at the Aladdin hotel in Las Vegas. Their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born nine months later, on February 1, 1968.

Priscilla, who married Elvis Presley at age 21, shared in a 2021 interview with People how much she enjoyed caring for him. She loved looking after his needs, like making sure he was fed, and they even developed a private language – a kind of baby talk – to communicate with each other amidst the constant presence of others. She described it as a fulfilling, though unique, life they shared together.

Their marriage ended with a separation in February 1972, and they officially divorced the following year. Elvis later explained during a Las Vegas performance that the reason for the split was his constant travel and absence from home.

Even after Priscilla and her daughter Lisa Marie moved to Los Angeles, they continued to visit Graceland as a family. Priscilla told People magazine in 1978 that these visits “helped Lisa to feel stable. There was never any arguing or bitterness.”

Priscilla Presley was heartbroken when Elvis died on August 16, 1977. In her 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, she explained that she couldn’t accept he was gone forever. She described a deep connection with him, saying they both relied on each other and shared a special bond.

Lisa Marie, 9 years old at the time, was at Graceland when her father died.

In her 2024 memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, the author shared her lifelong fear of losing her father. She recalled instances where he seemed unwell or even passed out, a worry she expressed in a poem with the line, ‘I hope my daddy doesn’t die.’

And the day he passed, she noted in the book, “my life as I knew it is completely over.”

Lisa Marie later pursued a career as a singer and songwriter, and in 2003, she released her first album, To Whom It May Concern.

She married musician Danny Keough in 1988, and they had two children, Riley and Benjamin Keough, before divorcing in 1994.

Lisa Marie Presley married Michael Jackson on May 26, 1994, just weeks after her divorce was completed. Though their highly publicized marriage only lasted under two years, Lisa Marie later told Oprah Winfrey—in 2010, a year after Jackson’s death—that they continued a relationship on and off for years, and she’d never felt that level of connection with anyone else.

Lisa Marie married Nicolas Cage, a devoted fan of her father Elvis, in August 2002. Although he filed for divorce just three months later, in November of the same year, the divorce wasn’t officially completed until May 2004.

The actor announced he wouldn’t discuss their split, but shared that he still cared for Lisa Marie. She responded at the time, saying she was upset but believed the marriage was a mistake from the beginning.

When Lisa Marie married Michael Lockwood in January 2006, her ex-husband, Danny, stood by her side as best man. They later had twin daughters, Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood and Finley Aaron Love Lockwood, in 2008.

Lisa Marie and her husband separated in 2016, and the divorce became complicated. During this time, her twin daughters lived with their grandmother, Priscilla. The divorce was officially completed in May 2021.

It was just days after celebrating the Golden Globes and supporting Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis film, where Austin Butler gave such a captivating performance as the King, that I learned the incredibly sad news of Lisa Marie Presley’s passing on January 12th, 2023. She was only 54. The official cause was determined to be a blockage in her small intestine, a complication from previous weight-loss surgery. It’s a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life can be.

Priscilla Presley and her then-partner, Marco Garibaldi Garcia, welcomed their son, Navarone, on March 1, 1987. Like his half-sister, Marco is a musician and the frontman for the Los Angeles band, Them Guns.

He married his long-time partner, Elisa Achilli, in 2022 at a luxurious hotel in Switzerland – a castle dating back to the 16th century.

As a lifestyle expert, I remember when Priscilla shared with People magazine how excited everyone was! She explained that the couple had been together for four years, and honestly, we were all eagerly anticipating this special moment for them.

Riley Keough, born on May 29, 1989, is an actress, singer, and model known for her roles in projects like The Girlfriend Experience, Daisy Jones & the Six, Magic Mike, and Logan Lucky. Following her mother’s passing, she inherited full ownership of Graceland.

As someone who often helps people share their stories, I was deeply moved to be entrusted with finishing Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir. My goal was simple: to move beyond the tabloid image and show the real woman behind it all. I wanted to portray her as a fully realized person – a devoted mother, a free spirit, a loyal friend, a talented artist, and someone who experienced the full spectrum of life, from joy and humor to trauma and grief. She was so much more than what the headlines suggested, and I hope this book truly captures the essence of who she was.

Riley married stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen in 2015. They have two children: Tupelo Storm, born in August 2022 through surrogacy, and another child born in early 2025.

Benjamin passed away by suicide in July 2020 at 27 years old. Following his death, a spokesperson for Lisa Marie Presley shared that she was utterly heartbroken and devastated, but determined to remain strong for her twin daughters, who were 11 at the time, and for her daughter Riley.

Lisa Marie openly shared her struggles with grief, once writing in an essay for People that you never truly overcome loss. The full extent of her pain became even clearer after her passing.

In her memoir, she shared that after Benjamin passed away, she kept his body on dry ice at her home near Los Angeles for two months before she felt ready to say goodbye. He was finally buried at Graceland in October 2020.

Lisa Marie was buried next to her son less than three years after his death.

Born on October 7, 2008, Harper and Finley largely keep to themselves, living with their father, Michael, who became their legal guardian after their mother, Lisa Marie, passed away.

I was checking their Instagram constantly, and it’s rare they post, but oh my gosh, they finally did! It was the second anniversary of their mom’s passing in 2025, and it broke my heart and warmed my soul all at once. Finley shared the sweetest picture of her and Harper as babies, all snuggled up with their mom, and wrote, ‘2 years…i love you always.’ And Harper? She posted a picture from when they were tiny toddlers, and it just wrecked me. She said, ‘I can’t believe it’s been 2 years. I miss you and love you so much mama.’ It was just… everything. I’m still tearing up.

2026-01-08 11:20