Fans of Elvis Presley are seeing him in a new light after the release of the new Netflix documentary.

Elvis Presley speaks about his comeback to music in never-before-seen footage featured in Return of the King: The Rise and Fall of Elvis Presley. Priscilla Presley and Elvis had tied the knot one year prior to his comeback in 1967. The special gives viewers a rare glance at the more vulnerable King of Rock ‘n Roll as he talks about wide range of topics from film and music career to his disconnection with his Hollywood image.

Priscilla’s relationship with the rock ‘n’ roll icon caused controversy due to their big age gap, but the now 79-year-old actress continued to defend their connection. Here, we take a look at the Elvis and Priscilla’s connection, from age gap to tragedy.

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First meeting

The Suspicious Minds singer was 24 and already well on his way to establishing himself as the King of rock n roll when he met the then-14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu in 1959. The pair first set eyes on each other at at party at Elvis’ home in Germany which he had rented during his military service, with Priscilla also in Germany due to her stepfather’s Air Force placement.

It’s reported Elvis acted like an “awkward and embarrassed” boy-next-door during their first encounter, but Priscilla said in Venice how he “respected” she was younger at the time. It was a meeting Priscilla couldn’t have imagined when first hearing the star’s tunes when she was 11. Speaking to Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY in 2017, she explained her early memories of Elvis, admitting it “started out really with his voice”.

“People loved his voice,” she said. “When he sang, it was like he was singing to you.” When it came to actually talking to the music legend, Priscilla said: “Everyone had a crush on him. Theyre 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.”

It was quickly apparent to Priscilla that the pair shared a deep connection and she later told People: “I saw him at a very vulnerable time in his life. He had just lost his mother. He was grieving. I found myself deeply involved with Elvis.” She went on to explain her time in high school during the early part of their relationship became a “chore”.

And Priscilla said their relationship, despite the age gap, was “more in mind and thought”.

Marriage and family

The relationship continued to blossom and the pair tied the knot in 1967 with Priscilla saying it was Elvis’ upbringing that made him focus on her. “Something in his Southern upbringing had taught him that the ‘right’ girl was to be saved for marriage,” she continued to tell People. “I was that girl. At the same time, he molded me into his woman. I wore the clothes, hairstyle and makeup of his careful choosing.”

The couple exchanged their vows in Las Vegas a year after Elvis proposed. While the pair were happy in love, Priscilla previously claimed it was his manager Colonel Tom Parker who encouraged the eight-minute ceremony.

They later went on to have their daughter Lisa Marie Presley, who tragically died in January of this year aged 54 from severe bowel obstruction. Lisa was the couple’s only child, giving birth to the pair’s four grandchildren, Riley and Benjamin Keough, and Harper and Finlay Lockwood. Benjamin died by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020.

Unfortunately, Elvis and Priscilla called it quits on their marriage, with Priscilla admitting she couldn’t deal with the lifestyle with the superstar. “It was the lifestyle that was so difficult for me,” she said. “And I think any woman can relate to that. But it didnt mar our relationship, we still remained very close. And of course, we had our daughter, and I made sure that he saw her all the time. It was like we never left each other.”

They then separated in February 1972, with divorce proceedings finalised in October 1973.

Tragic ending

As Priscilla insisted, the pair still remained in close contact up until the singer’s death at the age of 42. His death by heart attack came four years after the couple had split and describing their final words, Priscilla told The Jonathan Ross Show in 2015: “We talked, in fact we talked a few days before he passed which was very hard. (I was) asking if he was OK and if he was excited about going on tour and he was. He loved work, but he was dealing with a lot of issues, decisions that he had to make, so it wasnt easy.

Asked if she had concerns for him, she replied: I did but Elvis was, he felt he was OK. He wasnt someone who you could just say, You need to really take care of yourself… It was hard for anyone to do anything because ultimately it was his decision and he felt he was fine.”

On the 46th anniversary of his tragic and sudden death this year, Priscilla paid an emotional tribute to her ex on Twitter, saying: “Today marks the 46th anniversary of Elvis’ passing. His memory never fades. Thank you to the millions of fans for their continued love. There will never be another Elvis. With love and peace, Priscilla,” complete with a red rose emoji.

A version of this story was published on September 10, 2023.