She just couldn’t help falling in love with him! Though Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley’s marriage only lasted six years, the pair had a connection unlike any other.
“I was never that confident. I mean, here he was — the most sexiest, the most gorgeous human being, truly,” Priscilla recalled of their romance during a November 2019 appearance on the U.K.’s This Morning.
While Elvis and Priscilla quickly became one of the most beloved music industry couples, there was more to their relationship than meets the eye.
“The beginning [of our marriage] was very difficult, but I knew what I was in for because I saw it at a very young age,” the New York native told the Daily Mail in March 2022. “I found out how vicious people could be. There were rumors I was pregnant, and that’s why he got married and I’m going, ‘Oh, my God, this is not gonna be good for me.’ That’s when I started not reading papers anymore or [magazines] in the grocery stores.”
She added at the time: “It was hard to get accepted. But he always told me, ‘Don’t pay attention, don’t even listen and don’t look at the tabloids. You know what the truth is so just be cautious, but be aware.’”
After the pair welcomed their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in February 1968, they eventually went their separate ways amid alleged extramarital affairs on both sides.
“I just kind of followed what he did. You lived his life,” Priscilla said during a November 2019 appearance on the U.K.’s Loose Woman talk show. “You saw the movies he wanted to see, you listened to the music he listened to, you’d go to places he would go. So you really kind of lost yourself. … I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him ― he was the love of my life, truly. If anything, I left because I needed to find out what the world was like.”
Just four years after their divorce was finalized, the “Blue Suede Shoes” performer died at the age of 42.
“It’s difficult to believe Elvis would be 86 today, January 8th. I think back and wonder…if he were here today, how would he celebrate in the year 2021,” Priscilla wrote via Facebook in January 2021. “It’s not really hard as Elvis was somewhat…a creature of habit. I believe he would be celebrating exactly the same way. Having a small amount of his friends, family and his Memphis Mafia all gathered at Graceland. I can almost hear his laugh, see him joking around, and know he would be staying up into the early morning hours… ending at the piano singing gospel songs. Elvis, lost in the lyrics, as if no one was around. Then as the song comes to an end and with a slight smile, turns to his guest and nods with satisfaction as everyone applauds for more. Those are cherished moments embedded in my mind.”
The late Tennessee native’s career again made headlines when director Baz Luhrmann adapted Elvis’ life story into a biopic, which was released in June 2022. Elvis, which received a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival one month before hitting theaters, stars Austin Butler as the legendary musician.
“When I began the process, I set out to get my voice to be identical. That instills fear. So that got the fire burning. For a year before we started shooting, I was doing voice coaching,” the Carrie Diaries alum told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2022 of his acting preparation. “I watched as much as I could, over and over. I feel such a responsibility to Elvis and to Priscilla and Lisa Marie, and all the people around the world who love him so much.”
Scroll below to relive Elvis and Priscilla’s iconic love story:
Credit: Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley’s Relationship Timeline: The Way They Were
She just couldn’t help falling in love with him! Though Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley’s marriage only lasted six years, the pair had a connection unlike any other.
“I was never that confident. I mean, here he was — the most sexiest, the most gorgeous human being, truly,” Priscilla recalled of their romance during a November 2019 appearance on the U.K.’s This Morning.
While Elvis and Priscilla quickly became one of the most beloved music industry couples, there was more to their relationship than meets the eye.
“The beginning [of our marriage] was very difficult, but I knew what I was in for because I saw it at a very young age,” the New York native told the Daily Mail in March 2022. “I found out how vicious people could be. There were rumors I was pregnant, and that’s why he got married and I’m going, ‘Oh, my God, this is not gonna be good for me.’ That’s when I started not reading papers anymore or [magazines] in the grocery stores.”
She added at the time: “It was hard to get accepted. But he always told me, ‘Don’t pay attention, don’t even listen and don’t look at the tabloids. You know what the truth is so just be cautious, but be aware.’”
After the pair welcomed their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in February 1968, they eventually went their separate ways amid alleged extramarital affairs on both sides.
“I just kind of followed what he did. You lived his life,” Priscilla said during a November 2019 appearance on the U.K.’s Loose Woman talk show. “You saw the movies he wanted to see, you listened to the music he listened to, you’d go to places he would go. So you really kind of lost yourself. … I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him ― he was the love of my life, truly. If anything, I left because I needed to find out what the world was like.”
Just four years after their divorce was finalized, the “Blue Suede Shoes” performer died at the age of 42.
“It’s difficult to believe Elvis would be 86 today, January 8th. I think back and wonder…if he were here today, how would he celebrate in the year 2021,” Priscilla wrote via Facebook in January 2021. “It’s not really hard as Elvis was somewhat…a creature of habit. I believe he would be celebrating exactly the same way. Having a small amount of his friends, family and his Memphis Mafia all gathered at Graceland. I can almost hear his laugh, see him joking around, and know he would be staying up into the early morning hours… ending at the piano singing gospel songs. Elvis, lost in the lyrics, as if no one was around. Then as the song comes to an end and with a slight smile, turns to his guest and nods with satisfaction as everyone applauds for more. Those are cherished moments embedded in my mind.”
The late Tennessee native’s career again made headlines when director Baz Luhrmann adapted Elvis’ life story into a biopic, which was released in June 2022. Elvis, which received a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival one month before hitting theaters, stars Austin Butler as the legendary musician.
“When I began the process, I set out to get my voice to be identical. That instills fear. So that got the fire burning. For a year before we started shooting, I was doing voice coaching,” the Carrie Diaries alum told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2022 of his acting preparation. “I watched as much as I could, over and over. I feel such a responsibility to Elvis and to Priscilla and Lisa Marie, and all the people around the world who love him so much.”
Scroll below to relive Elvis and Priscilla’s iconic love story:
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1959
After Elvis exploded on the pop scene, he was forced to take a musical break when he was drafted into the United States Army. While serving a tour of duty in Germany, he met Priscilla when she was a teenager.
Credit: Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
May 1967
The former couple tied the knot eight years later at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.
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February 1968
The duo welcomed their daughter, Lisa Marie, less than one year after their Vegas nuptials.
Credit: AP/Shutterstock
October 1973
While Priscilla and Elvis initially separated in February 1972, their divorce proceedings were finalized nearly one year later.
Credit: Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
August 1977
The “Jailhouse Rock” crooner died at the age of 42 after going into cardiac arrest.
Credit: Lance Murphey/AP/Shutterstock
November 2014
“I remember when I set eyes on him, he was just so kind, so authentic,” Priscilla recalled of her former spouse during an interview with the U.K.’s Daily Mirror. “I just thought how he was the real deal. Elvis wasn’t putting on any pretense, he never did. What you saw with him is what you got. Not everyone knows that. People know his music, but they don’t necessarily know the real Elvis. I want the world to know he was a lovely, loyal man.”
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September 2019
The Dallas alum was an integral part in the production of Luhrmann’s biopic. She told Us Weekly: “I have been involved with Baz. He has come to my home and he has been emailing me. … He’s keeping me on top of everything. It’s been wonderful. He is a genius.”
Credit: Hugh Stewart/Warner Brothers Entertainment
April 2022
Priscilla, who attended the 2022 Met Gala alongside Butler and the Elvis cast, couldn’t help but gush over the final cut of the film.
“For those curious about the new film ELVIS … the director, provided a private screening for me and [Elvis’ friend] Jerry Schilling at Warner studios recently. This story is about Elvis and [manager] Colonel Parker’s relationship,” the Naked Gun actress wrote via Facebook. “It is a true story told brilliantly and creatively that only Baz, in his unique artistic way, could have delivered. Austin Butler, who played Elvis is outstanding.”
She continued: “Halfway through the film Jerry and I looked at each other and said WOW!!! Bravo to him … he knew he had big shoes to fill. He was extremely nervous playing this part. I can only imagine.”
Credit: AP/Shutterstock
June 2022
While looking back at her iconic outfits in a Vogue interview, Priscilla saw a photo of her and Elvis with newborn Lisa Marie at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The Dallas alum recalled how nervous Elvis was to have a baby.
“This is the happy dad. He’s looking at her like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have a child? What do I do?’ He was so afraid to hold her,” she recalled. “I think a lot of men feel that way, but he was so frightened that he would drop her or didn’t know how to hold her. So this was a really happy time.”
Credit: Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
August 2022
Priscilla said the most difficult part of watching the Elvis movie was reliving some of the more difficult fights Elvis had with Colonel Parker. “He wanted to do movies, serious movies, and Colonel Parker probably should have stayed a publicist,” she said during an appearance on Today. “He didn’t take Elvis where he wanted to be, and that was hard because I lived it.”
She continued: “I lived the arguments that they had, I lived Elvis trying to explain he didn’t want to do the movies with all the girls and the beaches and everything, that he really wanted to do serious things,” she continued. “So living that, with him, and watching the movie, it brought back a lot of memories.”
