The 76-year-old, who tied the knot with the superstar in 1967, was just 14 when she fell for the singer.
Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley were undoubtedly one of the most glamorous couples of their time. But the iconic couple's love story was not without its own set of challenges. Priscilla, now 76, recently opened up about struggles that came as she tried adjusting to life as the megastar's wife. "My God, I had to learn everything," she said of living with the King of Rock and Roll. "Women gravitated to him," she shared of the constant attention, her husband would receive. "So I would be nervous when he had to go places alone. I would even go with him to get his teeth cleaned! I always had an eye on him because everyone in the world was after him."
The 76-year-old, who tied the knot with the superstar in 1967, was just 14 when she fell for the singer. At the time, the New York native was living in West Germany as her U.S. Air Force captain father had been transferred there. She had been invited to a party that took place in a house that Elvis had rented in Bad Nauheim during his performance in the U.S. Army. The Don't Be Cruel singer was in his mid-20s and 10 years older than Priscilla but she knew she "had to keep him" as soon as they met. "I wanted to go places with him. I would cry if I couldn't be around him," she told PEOPLE.
Priscilla's convinced her parents to let her move from Germany to Memphis in 1963, three years after Elvis returned to the U.S. But they had one condition, that she stays with her father and stepmother in their house, which was just a mile away from the artist's Graceland mansion. Then four years later, when she was 21 and he was 32, the two got married. "I was always ready to greet him at the door and pamper him," shared Priscilla. "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."
The birth of their daughter Lisa in 1968 strengthened their bond further but after six years of marriage, the two divorced each other. "I truly cherish the great times. As you grow up, there are always fears and insecurities," she shared. "But as you get older you understand it all." Priscilla also opened up about the singer's ill-temper. "If he saw somebody he didn't like on the TV, he'd get his gun out and blow it up. Then he would tell his daddy to go get another TV," she said. But despite his shortcoming, she still follows the advice he gave her to tackle tough times: "Keep moving. Keep moving. You always keep moving."
Priscilla, who went on to have a successful acting career, is offering to have a private lunch with the highest bidder of Kruse GWS Auctions which will be held on September two. Many Elvis memorabilia, including the eyelet jumpsuit the singer, wore during his 1972 performance will be auctioned off. "I thought, 'Why not be a part of it?'" said Priscilla who realized that passing these "things down to someone who'll really appreciate them" would be the best thing.
Brigitte Kruse, the founder of Kruse GWS, said, "She's [Priscilla] just such a wealth of experience and knowledge. You don't study and learn about Elvis without learning about Priscilla as well. Their names are synonymous." She now hopes to bring a new sense of purpose to her precious memories of Elvis. "I want to make sure these young ones learning about him now will take the torch and keep it going," she explained. "He has a phenomenal legacy, and I will always cherish my moments with him."
References:
https://people.com/music/priscilla-presley-was-so-nervous-about-elvis-being-alone-exclusive/
Cover image source: Getty | Photo by Keystone (L) Getty | Photo by Gregg DeGuire (R)
