Priscilla Presley
The former wife of Elvis Presley who became a businesswoman and actress.
Priscilla Ann Presley (née Wagner; born May 24, 1945) is an American businesswoman and actress. She is the former wife of Elvis Presley, to whom she was married from 1967 to 1973. Priscilla later co-founded and chaired Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), which oversaw the public opening of Graceland as a museum. As an actress, she portrayed Jane Spencer in The Naked Gun film series (1988–1994) and Jenna Wade on the CBS primetime soap Dallas.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Priscilla Ann Wagner
- Born
- 24 May 1945
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, U.S.
- Other names
- Priscilla Wagner; Priscilla Beaulieu
- Occupation
- Actress, businesswoman
- Spouse
- Elvis Presley (1967–1973)
- Partner
- Marco Garibaldi (1984–2006)
- Children
- Lisa Marie Presley, Navarone Garibaldi
Lore & Background
Priscilla met Elvis Presley on September 13, 1959, in Bad Nauheim, West Germany, when she was 14 and he was 24. She was introduced by U.S. Air Force officer Currie Grant. After their fourth date, her father insisted on meeting Presley, who arrived in his Army uniform with his father. Her parents outlined expectations for future visits, including transportation and curfews, and Presley agreed. Their relationship continued under those conditions until Presley left Germany on March 2, 1960. After he left, Priscilla feared their relationship had ended, but 21 days later she received a phone call from him. Their communication became sporadic, with calls arriving unexpectedly after long intervals.
Reader's Guide
Priscilla Beaulieu met Elvis in Germany in 1959 when she was fourteen and he was twenty-four. Their relationship developed under strict conditions set by her parents. After a visit to Los Angeles in 1962, her parents agreed to let her relocate to Memphis permanently in mid-March 1963, two months before her 18th birthday. As part of the arrangement, Presley was expected to marry her. They married on May 1, 1967, at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The ceremony lasted eight minutes and was followed by a press conference and a $10,000 breakfast reception. Their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born on February 1, 1968. They separated in 1972 and divorced in 1973.
Early Life and Military Upbringing
Priscilla Ann Wagner was born on May 24, 1945, at Brooklyn Naval Hospital in New York City. Her biological father, James Frederick Wagner, was a U.S. Navy pilot who died in a plane crash on November 3, 1945, when Priscilla was five months old. In 1948, her mother Ann married United States Air Force officer Paul Beaulieu. Priscilla's surname was legally changed to Beaulieu on April 17, 1950. Due to her stepfather's military career, the family relocated frequently. Priscilla stated, 'We moved around a lot, and I didn't stay in one school long enough to make close friends. I was quite shy when I was young, and I dreaded lunchtime at school. I often ate alone.' In 1956, the family settled in Del Valle, Texas, before Beaulieu was reassigned to Wiesbaden, West Germany. Upon arriving, they stayed at the Helene Hotel for three months before moving into a spacious apartment in a 'vintage building constructed long before World War I.' They discovered the building also operated as a brothel, but due to limited housing availability, they remained there.
The Courtship and Life at Graceland
On September 13, 1959, Priscilla, then 14, met Elvis Presley, then 24, at his rented home in Bad Nauheim, West Germany. She was introduced by Currie Grant, a U.S. Air Force officer. During one of her early visits, he invited her upstairs to speak privately and shared memories of his mother, Gladys Presley, who had died in August 1958. Before she left, he kissed her goodbye—reportedly her first real kiss. After their fourth date, her father stated that if the relationship was to continue, he wanted to meet Presley in person. Presley agreed and arrived in his Army uniform, accompanied by his father. Her parents outlined expectations for future visits, including transportation and curfews. Presley acknowledged their concerns and offered reassurances. In February 1962, after months without contact, Presley called Priscilla and suggested she visit him in Los Angeles. He accepted all conditions from her parents. During the Las Vegas visit, Priscilla began using amphetamines and sleeping pills to adjust to Presley's nocturnal lifestyle. After a second visit at Christmas, her parents agreed to let her relocate to Memphis permanently in mid-March 1963, two months before her 18th birthday. As part of the arrangement, Presley was expected to marry her. Priscilla enrolled at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral School, an all-girls Catholic institution, and initially lived with Presley's father and stepmother. She spent increasing time at Graceland with Presley's grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, gradually moving her belongings in until she was living there full-time.
Marriage and Professional Beginnings
Shortly before Christmas 1966, Presley proposed to Priscilla, reportedly after Colonel Tom Parker reminded him of RCA's 'morals clause' in his record contract. In a 1973 interview with Ladies' Home Journal, Priscilla said they were content living together but noted that 'at that time, it wasn't nice for people to [just] live together.' Presley and Priscilla married on May 1, 1967, at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The ceremony, arranged by Parker for publicity, lasted eight minutes and was followed by a press conference and a $10,000 breakfast reception attended by representatives from MGM, RCA, and the William Morris Agency. Their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born on February 1, 1968, nine months after their wedding. Priscilla later portrayed Jane Spencer in The Naked Gun film series (1988–2025) and Jenna Wade on the CBS primetime soap Dallas.
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