With the new movie Priscilla debuting to critical acclaim at Venice International Film Festival, the real-life relationship between Elvis and Priscilla Presley is in the spotlight once more. The biographical film — directed by Sofia Coppola — is based on Priscilla’s memoir, Elvis and Me.
Priscilla Presley — born Priscilla Wagner, later Priscilla Beaulieu after her mother re-married — is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the widow of Elvis Presley. This is an understandable mistake, as Priscilla has been a major influence in Presley’s posthumous image since his death in 1977.
Elvis’ father — Vernon Presley — made Priscilla the executor of Elvis’ estate after his death in 1979. Priscilla is also a founding member and former chairwoman and president of Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) – a company involved in the handling of Presley’s estate, most notably his music and his former home, Graceland. Priscilla and Elvis’ only child, Lisa Marie Presley (1968-2023), later became the sole living beneficiary of the estate on her 25th birthday in 1993.
While Priscilla was — and remains — a major part of the living public memory of Elvis Presley, the couple actually divorced in 1973, four years prior to Presley’s death. Due to Lisa-Marie’s young age at the time of her father and grandfather’s deaths, Priscilla spent over a decade in charge of Presley’s estate, and is credited with turning Graceland into a major tourist attraction, eventually becoming one of the most-visited attractions in the United States. The property is estimated to be worth up to $500 million in 2023, bringing in $10 million a year through tourism alone.
