Elvis and Priscilla Presley's Relationship

The relationship between Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley fascinated the world—equal parts romance, pressure, and complexity. From the challenges of Elvis’ immense fame to their 10-year age difference, their marriage was anything but simple. And although it ultimately came to an end, their story continues to capture attention decades later.

“He wasn’t bad to look at either,” Priscilla shared about Elvis. “Everyone had a crush on him. They’re still having crushes on him. He was truly beautiful. He woke up beautiful. I used to stare at him. I used to look at him and go, ‘Oh my gosh.’

Explore the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla including how it began, what led to their marriage and their eventual divorce.

How old was Priscilla when she met Elvis?

When Elvis Presley was 24, he met Priscilla Presley, who was just 14—an age difference that would later become a defining and controversial aspect of their relationship. The two first crossed paths in Germany in November 1959, where Elvis was stationed during his service in the U.S. Army, after he arranged to meet her through mutual connections. From that initial meeting, Elvis became immediately taken with Priscilla, marking the beginning of a relationship that would unfold over the years that followed.

Despite Priscilla only being in ninth grade, Elvis was infatuated, and it wasn’t long before he was explaining to her parents why. When her stepfather, Paul, asked what a star like Elvis wanted with the teenage Priscilla, he explained, “Well, sir, I happen to be very fond of her. She’s a lot more mature than her age, and I enjoy her company.”

It wasn’t long before Priscilla felt similarly about the singer, the two of them continuing to see each other while Elvis was still in Germany. However, once he returned to the United States, Priscilla’s parents warned her he would likely forget about her. He didn’t. In 1962, Elvis asked her to visit him in Los Angeles and their relationship only deepened from there.

They married in 1967

Five years after she first visited him in LA, Elvis and Priscilla were ready to tie the knot and they did just that on May 1, 1967 in Las Vegas. Shortly after they married—nine months to be exact, their daughter Lisa Marie was born on February 1, 1968.

However, the birth of their daughter marked a turning point in their relationship. In later years, Priscilla Presley revealed that Elvis Presley became increasingly distant, and their physical relationship changed after she became a mother. At the same time, Elvis was not always faithful, creating further strain on the marriage. Priscilla remained committed for a time, but the growing emotional and physical distance between them ultimately led her to reconsider the relationship.

“I was always ready to greet him at the door and pamper him,” Priscilla shared of their life together. “I loved taking care of Elvis very much. I loved tending to him. I loved feeding him. We would baby talk, because you have to have your own language when you have that many people around. It was a good life. It was different, but it was ours.”

They divorced in 1973

Although Priscilla Presley loved Elvis Presley, she later acknowledged that she struggled to find lasting happiness in their marriage. His infidelity, drug use and the demands of life as one of the most famous musicians in the world all took a toll. Over time, she felt a growing loss of identity, explaining that her own concerns often became “secondary” to his. By 1973, Priscilla knew she needed to find herself out of of her marriage and experience the world not by Elvis’ side. At the same time, the pressures of Elvis Presley’s career and the realities of his travel-heavy lifestyle had created a growing distance between them. That combination ultimately led to their separation—and, soon after, their divorce.

“I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him. He was the love of my life, but I had to find out about the world,” she said.

Despite the end of their marriage, she and Elvis Presley remained deeply connected. The two famously held hands as they left the courthouse following their divorce, a moment that spoke to the bond they never fully lost. They also continued to co-parent their daughter, maintaining a relationship rooted in mutual respect and shared history. When Elvis died in 1977, the loss was devastating. Though their marriage had ended years earlier, Priscilla understood better than most that he was truly one of a kind.

“To be honest with you, I never wanted to marry after him,” Priscilla explained. “I never had any desire. No one could ever match him.”

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM.