Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley’s Iconic Relationship Timeline: From Teen Love to Lasting Legacy.
Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley’s relationship is one of the most famous love stories in music history. Their romance spanned several decades, filled with unforgettable moments that have captured the hearts of millions. Here’s a complete timeline of their relationship—from their first meeting to the legacy they left behind.
14-year-old Priscilla meets Elvis Presley for the first time
1959: Meeting Elvis in Germany
Priscilla Beaulieu first met Elvis when he was stationed at a U.S. Army base in Frankfurt, Germany. At the time, Priscilla was just 14 years old, while Elvis was already a rising star with a decade of life experience on her. Despite their 10-year age difference, the two immediately formed a bond. Elvis, captivated by Priscilla’s youth and innocence, spent six months courting her under the supervision of her parents.
In her 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, Priscilla recalls how Elvis “molded me into his woman,” and she added that their early relationship was not sexual, despite the age gap. “What I think really attracted him to me was the fact that I was like the listener. He poured his heart out to me in Germany. He was very, very lonely,” she revealed in a 2023 interview with Fox 32.
A young Priscilla Presley
1963: Reconnection and Living Together
After being discharged from the Army, Elvis and Priscilla reconnected. Elvis invited her to live with him in Memphis, Tennessee. Though her parents were initially hesitant, Elvis persuaded them to allow Priscilla to finish her senior year of high school at Immaculate Conception High School in Memphis.
Looking back, Priscilla described this period as a time when she wanted to “fit in” with Elvis’s world, calling it “a different time” and reflecting on how she sought to please him. “I wanted to have fun with him,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023.
1966: The Engagement
In December 1966, Elvis proposed to Priscilla with a surprise engagement ring. Priscilla recalled the romantic moment during a 2017 interview on NPR’s World Cafe. “It was a surprise,” she said, describing how Elvis presented her with the ring after asking her to close her eyes.
1967: A Secret Wedding
On May 1, 1967, Elvis and Priscilla tied the knot in a secret wedding at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, changing the venue from Palm Springs at the last minute due to paparazzi rumors. “It was, like, stealth. It was actually kind of exciting,” Priscilla said in Elvis by the Presleys (2005). Despite the surprise nature of the ceremony, they were happy to be married and shared the special day with close family and friends. After the ceremony, the newlyweds enjoyed a two-month honeymoon in Palm Springs before settling into their Beverly Hills mansion.
On May 1, 1967, superstar Elvis Presley married his bride, Priscilla Ann Beaulieu, in an intimate Las Vegas ceremony.
1968: The Birth of Lisa Marie
Shortly after their wedding, Priscilla learned she was pregnant. On February 1, 1968, the couple welcomed their only child, daughter Lisa Marie Presley.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley with Lisa Marie Presley - born on February 1, 1968
1970: Family Life Amidst Elvis’s Busy Schedule
In 1970, Elvis and Priscilla’s family life seemed perfect. However, Priscilla later revealed that Elvis struggled with guilt over his busy schedule, often feeling like he wasn’t around enough to be an active father. “With his scheduling and his touring, he just felt he wasn’t around enough to give a lot of attention to having another child,” Priscilla explained in a 2023 Q&A session in Las Vegas.
1972: Separation
By August 1971, the couple’s marriage began to falter. Elvis and Priscilla decided to separate in 1972, with Priscilla later acknowledging that she realized their lives were too different. “I finally realized that things were not going to change—and that we had separate lives completely,” she revealed in an interview with Ladies Home Journal in 1973.
1973: Divorce
Elvis and Priscilla’s divorce was finalized in 1973, but they remained amicable. Priscilla said there were “no hostilities whatsoever” and that their split was a mutual decision. She explained that the slow changes that occur in any marriage led them to part ways. “People become less sensitive to each other’s needs,” she shared in the Ladies Home Journal interview.
During this time, Priscilla also began dating Mike Stone, a black-belt karate champion, which she openly discussed in the same interview.
1977: Elvis's Tragic Passing
In August 1977, Elvis passed away from a heart attack at the age of 42. Priscilla and Elvis had just spoken a few days before his death. She recalled, “I had just talked to him two nights before and to get that call, Joe Esposito called me and said ‘Cilla, Elvis is dead.’”
The devastating news left Priscilla in shock, especially as she had to break the news to their 9-year-old daughter, Lisa Marie. “My biggest fear was Lisa—how do I tell her?” she recalled. She explained how she comforted Lisa by telling her that “Daddy will be resting” and that they could still visit him.
Elvis was buried at Graceland, the family estate in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had lived most of his life. Two years after his death, Priscilla became the executor of his estate, working tirelessly to ensure that Elvis’s legacy lived on.
Elvis Presley died
16 August 1977 (age 42 years), Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Priscilla’s Legacy and Graceland
Priscilla’s role in preserving Elvis’s legacy was instrumental in turning Graceland into the beloved tourist destination it is today. As the executor of his estate, she made sure that his legacy remained strong in the public eye, ensuring that his fans could continue to connect with the King of Rock and Roll’s memory.
Sadly, Lisa Marie Presley passed away on January 12, 2023, due to complications from a previous surgery. She was buried at Graceland beside her father, continuing the Presley family legacy at the iconic estate.
In October 1977, both Elvis and his mother were buried at the Meditation Garden at Graceland.
A Lasting Love and Legacy
Priscilla Presley’s relationship with Elvis, though filled with ups and downs, left a lasting impact on pop culture. From their young love in Germany to their marriage, divorce, and mutual respect afterward, Priscilla has continued to honor Elvis’s memory while raising their daughter, Lisa Marie. Today, Priscilla remains an enduring figure in Elvis’s legacy and the history of rock and roll.
