Elvis and his ex-wife had one of the most public divorces the world has ever seen, and as a result, there were countless rumors swirling about the cause. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why the two split, but Elvis’ father, Vernon shed some light as to what he considered the real reason the couple split.
Elvis Presley met Priscilla at a party while he was stationed in Germany during his short stint in the military. It didn’t take very long for the King to fancy the freshman in high school. Priscilla knew exactly who he was and even though she was 14 compared to him at 24, they plunged forward into a relationship.
After the military, he returned to Memphis and was able to gain Priscilla’s parents’ permission to allow her to move in with him at Graceland. The two of them dated for almost a decade before the King finally popped the question and they married in 1967. A year later, their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley was born.
A very popular picture, but I have never seen this quality or this close up before. Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa at CA home #Elvispresley #Elvishistory #Elvis2019 pic.twitter.com/JEKeYI0N4U
— CathieT (@cathie19707) January 22, 2019
Unfortunately for the new family, the marriage ended six years later in 1973. Rumors began to swirl around – especially after an affair between Priscilla and a karate instructor, surfaced.
However, Elvis’ father revealed that he didn’t think it was infidelity that led to the end of the marriage. Instead, he believed that the lifestyle Elivs had to maintain was too much for their marriage to handle. In 1978 he wrote a lengthy piece in the magazine Good Housekeeping following Elvis’ death in 1977. According to Express, Vernon wrote:
“I believe that Elvis’ marriage to her failed simply because he realized after the wedding that he didn’t really want to be married. When he was traveling, it wasn’t practical for Priscilla to go along all the time, especially after Lisa was born. These separations put a strain on their relationship.”
Regardless of the divorce, the two continued to love each other and look after their daughter.
Watch the video below for footage of Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding.