Priscilla Presley: the woman who lost her daughter and grandson

Priscilla Presley's life has been full of joyful and memorable moments. She's been an entrepreneur, actress, mother, and wife. But it has also been marked by the losses of several people close to her. Here's the life of Priscilla Presley in photos.

Priscilla was born on May 24, 1945, in New York City, USA. Her mother, Anna Lillian Iversen, was 19 when she was born. Her father, James Frederick Wagner, was a US Navy pilot.

When Priscilla was just 6 months old, her father was killed in a plane crash while traveling home. Three years later, her mother married a United States Air Force officer named Paul Beaulieu, a surname Priscilla took a few years later.

Her stepfather was an officer in the United States Air Force, and they were constantly transferred to different bases. At the German army base of Friedberg, she would get to know her first love, Elvis Presley.

Elvis Presley, famous in the US and the world, had his home in Bad Nauheim, near the army base. In September 1953, Priscilla met The King at a party at his home. She was 14 years old.

In an interview for Ladies' Home Journal, Priscilla said that both she and Elvis were quite comfortable just living together, but it was frowned upon at the time. Finally, on May 1, 1967, they were married at the Aladdin Hotel in La Vegas.

Priscilla comments in her book 'Elvis and Me' that the King told her they should wait until marriage to have sex. She says they kept the agreement. In an interview with Barbara Walters, she added, "I can only go back to his concept of what he wanted in a woman. Somewhere in his past, he said he wanted a virgin."

Just 9 months after the wedding, on February 1, 1968, Lisa Marie Presley was born in Memphis, Tennessee.

Over the course of their marriage, Priscilla took up karate to fill some of her free time and share a hobby with Elvis. The singer and actor had become a serious karate student.

Elvis' (physical) disinterest in Priscilla took its toll on the relationship. "He had mentioned to me before we were married that he had never been able to make love to a woman who had a child," Priscilla stated in her book 'Elvis and Me.' Over the course of their relationship, the King was said to have several affairs.

In 1972 Priscilla met Mike Stone, a karate instructor with whom she began taking lessons. They would later have an affair. "I still loved Elvis greatly, but over the next few months I knew I would have to make a crucial decision regarding my destiny," she said in her aforementioned book. Priscilla and Mike were together until 1975.

In February 1972, Elvis and Priscilla separated. On January 8, 1973 (Elvis's birthday) the King filed for divorce. Despite their breakup, Priscilla and Elvis continued to be close. She said in her memoir that she "never stopped loving him."

That same year, Priscilla opened a clothing store in California with her friend Olivia Bis. It proved to be successful and many celebrities such as Cher, Natalie Wood, Mary Tyler Moore, Barbra Streisand, and Liza Minnelli became regular shoppers at the store. It closed its doors in 1976.

When Elvis suddenly died at the age of 42, in August 1977, Priscilla "wanted to die," she recalls in her book. Elvis' ex-wife and his only daughter, Lisa Marie, had always remained central to his life.

"I locked myself in the bedroom," she wrote in 'Elvis and Me.' The mourning ex-wife left instructions to her family "that I would not speak to anyone, that I wanted to be alone."

After Elvis' death, his estate was handled by his father (Vernon Elvis), who executed it on behalf of 9-year-old Lisa Marie. When Vernon died, the estate was passed on to Priscilla.

The family did not inherit much money from Elvis, and Graceland was very expensive to maintain ($500,000 per year). Lisa Marie's inheritance was only $1 million. All this led Priscilla to consider selling Graceland.

Looking for different options to manage Graceland, Priscilla hired a CEO, and they turned the property into a tourist attraction. Graceland opened its doors to fans and tourists in June 1982. Priscilla created Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), where she would serve as chairwoman until Lisa Marie turned 21.

Thanks to Priscilla's efforts, not only did she manage to keep Graceland afloat, but she multiplied the fortune to more than $100 million.

Priscilla had always been interested in dancing and modeling, but Elvis insisted that a woman's place was at home. After his death, she started to pursue a career in Hollywood.

As early as 1980 she made her first television appearance as a co-host on the TV show 'Those Amazing Animals.' In 1981 came her first foray as an actress in the TV series 'The Fall Guy' (1981-1986). She played Sabrina Caldwell.

The rookie actress then landed one of the most important roles of her life. Jenna Wade was a character in 'Dallas' that had already been played by two other actresses. Priscilla took over and embodied the character for 144 episodes.

Image: CBS

The movie role that made her most recognized across the world was that of Jane Spencer in 'The N a k e d Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!', along with Leslie Nielsen.

It's a classic comedy with two sequels that still makes people laugh to this day. Priscilla played the love interest (and later wife) of the bumbling detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen).

Priscilla also appeared in ‘The Adventures of Ford Fairlane’ (1990), ‘Melrose Place’ (1996), ‘Touched by an Angel’ (1996), and ‘Breakfast with Einstein’ (1998). They never led her to reach the level of fame of the 'N a k e d gun' series though.

Priscilla's lovers after Elvis Presley were an eclectic group of men. After Mike Stone, Priscilla dated photographer Terry O'Neill, attorney Robert Kardashian, hairdresser Elie Ezerzer, and financier Kirk Kerkorian. She also had an on-and-off relationship with model Michael Edwards (photo).

In her book 'Elvis and Me,' Priscilla mentions affairs with Julio Iglesias and Richard Gere. She also dated British TV executive Nigel Lythgoe, Richie Palmer (Raquel Welch's ex-husband), Australian entertainer Barry Crocker, and disc jockey Toby Anstis.

Her longest relationship was with the Brazilian screenwriter and computer programmer Marco Garibaldi, with whom she lasted 22 years (1984 - 2006). They had a son together. Lisa Marie Presley's half-brother, Navarone Anthony Garibaldi, was born in 1987.

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Priscilla suffered a shocking loss. Her grandson, Benjamin Storm Presley Keough, took his own life in July.

In this photo from 2010, Ben (r) stands next to his mom and his sister. Behind him is Lisa Marie's half-brother, and Ben's uncle, Navarone.

Ben Keough was Lisa Marie Presley's oldest son and Priscilla's oldest grandson. He died at the age of 27. The entire Presley family was devastated.

"These are some of the darkest days of my family’s life. The shock of losing Ben has been devastating. Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible ways has penetrated my soul," Priscilla stated on her Facebook page.

The years after Ben's death were tough for the family. Lisa Marie would write shortly before her own demise that she blamed herself "every single day" for her son's death, Insider reports.

Priscilla attended the Golden Globe Awards with Lisa Marie in January 2023. The ex-wife and daughter of Elvis received an emotional thanks from Austin Butler, who had played Elvis in the latest movie about the King. He won the Golden Globe for best actor.

"Thank you guys, thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me," Butler said while accepting his award. "Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever." No one could fathom that these would be the last words addressed in public to Lisa Marie.

Just 2 days after the Golden Globes, Lisa Marie had a heart attack in the same home where her son had died. She was revived and rushed to the hospital but finally passed away.

"My beloved daughter Lisa Marie was rushed to the hospital," Priscilla commented on Instagram. "She is now receiving the best care. Please keep her and our family in your prayers." It would be in vain.

"We feel the prayers from around the world," Priscilla added, "and ask for privacy during this time." Lisa Marie wouldn't make it. She died at the age of 54. Her mother's social media account went quiet.

It was the Graceland Twitter account that announced the harsh news on January 14, 2023. "Priscilla Presley and the Presley family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Lisa Marie. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

Despite all the hardships, Priscilla Presley has risen several times and continued to carry on the legacy of her former husband's music and fame. An example is the series 'Agent King' she made for Netflix with rock singer John Eddie in 2021.

Overall, Priscilla Presley is a talented woman who managed to raise a fortune from the exhausted Graceland estate. She also became a recognized actress and a praised matriarch to her children and grandchildren. Despite the pain and tragedy in her life, she has always found a way to move on and thrive, and she will probably continue to do so now.