Elvis Aaron Presley would have turned 91 years old. Though he left the stage nearly five decades ago, “Elvismania” shows no signs of fading. From the annual Proclamation Ceremony on the north lawn of Graceland to the recent success of Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (which recently held a special sneak peek for fans and will be released on February 20th, 2026), the King’s cultural footprint remains massive. Yet, beyond the gold records and the velvet jumpsuits, the most fascinating chapter of his life remains the decade-spanning romance with the woman he called “Cilla.”
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A Meeting in West Germany
The story began in September 1959, when a 24-year-old Elvis was serving in the U.S. Army and stationed in Bad Nauheim, Germany. At a party in his home, he was introduced to 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, the daughter of an Air Force officer. Despite the decade-long age gap, Elvis was immediately taken by her maturity and striking beauty. Priscilla later recalled that he looked “younger and more vulnerable” than his film persona. Their early courtship was chaperoned and innocent, consisting of Elvis singing “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” to her and sharing his deepest fears about his career and his mother’s passing.
Becoming the “Living Doll” of Graceland
After Elvis returned to the States, the pair kept their romance alive through pink-enveloped letters and long-distance phone calls. In 1963, after a complex negotiation with her parents, Priscilla moved to Memphis to finish her senior year of high school while living under the roof of Elvis’s father, Vernon. During these years, Elvis began “molding” Priscilla into his ideal companion, influencing her fashion, her signature jet-black beehive hair, and her heavy eyeliner. She became the queen of the Graceland estate, a private sanctuary where she waited for him while he filmed his many Hollywood movies.
Priscilla Presley attends a photocall for the movie “Priscilla” at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 04, 2023 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
The Wedding and the Realities of Fame
On May 1, 1967, the couple finally tied the knot at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas in an eight-minute ceremony. Exactly nine months later, on February 1, 1968, they welcomed their only child, Lisa Marie Presley. Lisa Marie became the light of Elvis’s life; he famously named his private Convair 880 jet after her and delighted in spoiling her at the Graceland estate. However, the pressures of Elvis’s grueling schedule and his frequent infidelities took a toll on the marriage. Priscilla eventually realized that she had been living “his life” rather than her own. She began to seek her own identity, leading to their amicable separation in 1972. They famously walked out of the courthouse hand-in-hand after their divorce was finalized in 1973, proving that while the marriage had ended, the affection had not.
(L-R) Lisa Marie Presley and Priscilla Presley attend the Handprint Ceremony honoring Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley And Riley Keough at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 21, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
The Presley family story took its most tragic turn in recent years with the sudden passing of Lisa Marie Presley on January 12, 2023. At just 54 years old, Lisa Marie died from complications following a small bowel obstruction, just days after attending the Golden Globes to celebrate the Elvis biopic. Her death was a devastating blow to Priscilla and to the millions of fans who saw Lisa Marie as the living link to her father.
A Legacy of Mutual Respect
Even after the divorce and Elvis’s untimely death in 1977, Priscilla remained the primary protector of his legacy. She was instrumental in turning Graceland into a public landmark, ensuring that the King’s memory would never fade. Today, at 80 years old, Priscilla continues to speak of him with immense fondness. In a recent interview celebrating this 91st birthday, she mused that if he were here today, he’d likely still be on stage, saying, “He just had a great sense of humor and was fun to be with. I think he’d still be singing and touring. He loved it.”
