Elvis met Priscilla when she was a teenager, and the couple soon found themselves in love with each other. Despite sharing a deep bond, they did not tie the knot for years.
Elvis eventually proposes to Priscilla, but the actress believed he was pressured to marry her. Before his wedding, he was found crying, saying he couldn’t do anything to stop it.
The couple welcomed their only child, a daughter, nine months after their wedding, but their marriage lasted only six years. However, that did not mark the end of their love.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s beautiful love story began in the 1960s, and they soon became a most-loved famous couple. Their fans adored the bond they shared but had no idea that things would quickly take an unexpected turn.
Known for her role as Jane Spencer in “The Naked Gun” movies, the ever-gorgeous Priscilla first met Elvis when she was 14. She grew up moving from place to place because her father was in the armed forces, and when they were stationed in Germany, that’s when she met the future King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Priscilla described herself as “insecure” as a child because of some unpleasant experiences. Other kids her age thought she was beautiful, but she could never understand why they said that. She often saw boys looking at her, but she never felt pretty. Needless to say, Elvis was captivated by her beauty the first time they met.
1959: Priscilla and Elvis Presley Meet for the First Time
When Priscilla met her future husband, she was already a fan of his music. She recalled sitting with her brother at the Eagles Club—which was exclusive to families of people in the U.S. Armed Forces in Germany—when something unexpected happened.
Priscilla noticed a man looking at her. She described him as “a handsome man in his 20s,” but she didn’t care why he was looking at her until he approached her.
The man, Currie Grant, started conversing with the then-young Priscilla and asked her if she was a fan of Elvis Presley. When she said yes, Grant told her the singer was his friend and that he frequently went to Elvis’ house with his wife.
“How would you like to join us one evening?” Grant asked, but the teenager could not immediately agree to accompany him without her parents’ permission. Luckily, it only took Priscilla two weeks to get approval from her military dad because he found a common armed forces connection with Grant.
Grant took Priscilla to Elvis’ house in Bad Nauheim, Germany, one night. The house was filled with people, but the excited young girl immediately saw the rockstar. Her first impression of him was that he looked younger and handsome in real life.
The teenager was starstruck when her favorite singer talked to her for the first time before he started playing the piano to perform with his melodious voice. Then she noticed him paying attention to her, trying to get her response as he sang. The “Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays” actress confessed:
“I couldn’t believe that Elvis Presley was trying to impress me.”
After their first meeting, the young girl never expected to meet the singer again, but Elvis soon invited her to his place through Grant. Things didn’t escalate much between the two until they met for a third time.
During their third meeting, Elvis invited the teenager to his room, assuring her he won’t hurt her. Years later, Priscilla recalled looking into his eyes and feeling convinced. She immediately trusted him and agreed to go with him.
Sitting inside his room with his arms wrapped around her, Priscilla listened to the singer talk about his late mother and how he missed her. Priscilla had no idea she would be experiencing her first kiss a few moments later.
It happened when she began to leave. Elvis kissed her but then pulled back and pressed his lips against her forehead instead. “We have plenty of time, Little One,” he said before Priscilla left his house.
1960: Elvis Leaves Priscilla to Go to the U.S.
Elvis and Priscilla met multiple times for the next six months, and the young girl fell in love with the singer. She recalled her last night with him before he flew back to the U.S., leaving her in Germany.
That night, while feeling his arms around her, Priscilla asked him to consummate their relationship. She wanted him to do that for the past few months, but the singer refused every time, saying she was “just too young.”
Thinking about letting her love go miles away from her made Priscilla cry uncontrollably. When he left Germany the next day, Priscilla felt sad. She was so disturbed by his absence that sleeping and eating became difficult for her.
The “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer’s relationship with the then-young Priscilla did not end after he took a flight to the States. He called her frequently to share updates about his life, which made Priscilla feel at peace. That way, she knew he was still interested in her.
It was February 1962, and Elvis hadn’t called Priscilla for a long time. One day, she received a call and learned about his unexpected plan. He wanted her to fly to Los Angeles to be with him.
At the time, Priscilla had no idea if her father would agree, but Elvis eventually convinced him to let her travel miles away. Excited, the young girl couldn’t wait to see the man she loved madly.
Once she reached his residence and kissed her, she never wanted to leave him. After midnight, Priscilla went inside his bedroom, hoping to consummate their relationship this time, but the singer refused.
However, he was happy to learn she had not been in a sexual relationship with another man. “I wanted him—I was ready to submit entirely to him,” Priscilla confessed. She wanted him to take things forward, but Elvis told her to wait for the right time.
After spending time with Elvis, Priscilla returned to Germany and told her mother about Elvis’ wish to move her to Memphis, Tennessee. He wanted Priscilla to study there, but the girl knew it would take a lot to convince her father.
Soon, Elvis called Priscilla’s father to seek permission for her move. He promised that the young girl would be living with his parents and be well cared for. Elvis even confessed his feelings before her father, telling him he would eventually marry her.
In 1963, Priscilla moved to Memphis but lived with Elvis’ parents as promised. She confessed it was difficult to live with them, and she spent more time with Elvis’ grandmother. In no time, she found herself at his house with her belongings.
Priscilla spent the next few years living her best life with Elvis in Memphis. However, she never thought her relationship with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll would turn serious. The young girl had no idea that she would soon tie the knot with Elvis.
She recalled him proposing to her on his knees weeks before Christmas 1966. Hiding a gift box with one hand behind his back, he told her to close her eyes before showing her the ring. Feeling happy, he took her to his family and showed them the ring on her finger.
In hindsight, Priscilla believed Elvis’ decision to marry her was not his own. According to her, it was his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who suggested he tie the knot, saying, “If you are not going to get married, then what are you doing?”
“Even though we were perfectly content the way we were, at that time, it wasn’t nice for people to live together,” Priscilla revealed in an interview. Elvis’ proposal was not something she had expected, but she agreed to marry him still.
While everyone thought Elvis was happy to marry Priscilla, there was something only his housekeeper, Alberta Holman, knew. She saw him crying one day, seemingly doubting his decision to wed Priscilla. There was something about it that made him unhappy.
When Holman saw him weeping, she asked him to call it off if it bothered him so much, but the singer replied, “I don’t have a choice.” Their wedding ultimately took place on May 1, 1967, when Priscilla was only 21 while her husband-to-be was 32.
The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in Las Vegas, surrounded by their friends and family, It was an 8-minute-long ceremony where Elvis had expressed his wish to omit the word “obey” from their vows.
The couple planned to have babies but never thought they would welcome their first child exactly nine months after their wedding.
Excited to become a mother, Priscilla broke the news to her husband in the hospital waiting area. “You’re going to be a daddy,” she said with her arms wrapped around him.
Elvis was delighted to learn that Priscilla was pregnant with his baby, but his feelings soon changed. When she was seven months pregnant, he told her something unexpected. He said:
“It’ll be good for the two of us to take a little time off, like a trial separation.”
The “Hound Dog” singer explained that a lot was going on in his life and that living apart from Priscilla would help him cope. Meanwhile, the mom-to-be felt anxious after learning about his decision. She couldn’t imagine living away from him.
However, the couple didn’t live apart, and Elvis’ idea soon died. On February 1, 1968, Priscilla experienced labor pains and rushed to the hospital with her husband. The couple was delighted to welcome their daughter, Lisa Marie, that day.
Priscilla recalled how happy Elvis felt after seeing his beautiful little girl. He instantly fell in love with his daughter and kept hugging Priscilla. “I can’t believe that I made part of this beautiful child,” he told Priscilla while playing with their little one.
The first-time parents held their little girl and hugged each other, delighted to embark on a new journey. Priscilla confessed that seeing him at ease, enjoying the best moment of his life, was something she adored. She lamented:
“The man in my hospital room that day was the man I loved and will always love.”
1972: Elvis and Priscilla Part Ways
Things between the couple changed after having a baby. Priscilla revealed that they began having compatibility issues because Elvis viewed her as a little girl who needed him while she was trying to be a mother to their daughter. She revealed in an interview:
“Our communication was horrible. It was terrible.”
Towards the end of their marriage, the couple’s intimacy went downhill, and Priscilla soon realized she didn’t want to live in a marriage with no physical relationship. She started dating her karate teacher, Mike Stone, and Elvis soon learned about it. Furious, Elvis threatened to “kill him,” but he never acted on his emotions.
Priscilla revealed that those moments changed her life and made her realize she was not living her own life. Instead, she was living according to her husband’s wishes.
Thus, after parting ways with her husband, Priscilla learned more about herself and making decisions independently. “I found Priscilla,” she said.
1973: Elvis and Priscilla’s Divorce Is Finalized
On October 9, 1973, the couple’s divorce was finalized, but that did not mark the end of their love. After their last court trial, Elvis was seen singing “I Will Always Love You” to Priscilla, and he meant it.
While most people would stop talking to their partners after the divorce, Priscilla and Elvis continued to see each other. They would meet at his place with their daughter, hugging each other like they were still together.
They would also spend hours talking on the phone, and Elvis would visit his ex-wife early in the day. Even after parting ways, the couple shared a close bond, respected each other, and never argued.
1977: Elvis Presley Passes Away
Although Priscilla knew Elvis’ health was slowly deteriorating, the news of his death shocked her. She was meeting her sister when she learned something was wrong after her sister told her to return home.
Feeling frightened, Priscilla drove home but still had no idea that her beloved ex-husband had passed away. While driving, she could hear her phone ringing, but she couldn’t answer because she wanted to reach home.
Upon answering the call, she heard Joe Esposito on the other end, but it felt like he was taking too long to tell her what had happened. It wasn’t until he said, “It’s Elvis,” that Priscilla realized “something horrible had happened.”
“I broke down, and I just couldn’t believe it,” Priscilla confessed of what she felt after learning Elvis had passed away. It was difficult for her to accept that she wouldn’t see the love of her life anymore. The father of his daughter, her ex-husband, and the man she loved dearly, was no more.
2022: Priscilla Confesses She Still Loves Elvis
Priscilla spent some of the best days of her life with Elvis, who loved her dearly. Although the couple’s marriage did not last long, their divorce did not affect their relationship. It only grew stronger, and Priscilla has admitted her love for her ex-husband never left her, even decades after his death.
During Elvis Week 2022, Priscilla addressed fans’ questions regarding her love for the rock and roll king. “I was absolutely in love with him and still am to this day,” she shared.
No doubt, theirs was a love story for the ages. While their marriage was short-lived, their love for each other was eternal, not even death could stop it. Priscilla respected Elvis and continues to cherish their moments together.
