The king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, married Priscilla Presley on May 1, 1967, after an 8-year romantic union. Priscilla moved into Graceland, Elvis’ Memphis home, in 1963. However, for his relationship with Priscilla to continue, Elvis had to honor his promise to her stepfather and mother, Paul and Anna Beaulieu. But a friend who caught Elvis crying the night before his wedding claimed he had a 5-word response to why he felt forced to marry his longtime girlfriend.
Elvis Presley brought to tears the night before his wedding to Priscilla Presley
The king of rock and roll reportedly wasn’t too happy about having to formally commit to longtime girlfriend Priscilla Beaulieu after years of living together. He confided his fears to a longtime family friend the night before the couple’s wedding.
The Peter Harry Brown and Pat H. Broeske biography Down at the End of Lonely Street: The Life and Death of Elvis Presley discussed an emotional encounter between Elvis and his family housekeeper Alberta Holman.
The book revealed that Holman found Elvis crying about his wedding in late April 1967. She and Elvis were very close, and the king nicknamed her Alberta VO5, after the hair product brand.
Holman and Elvis talked about the wedding and why he was so sad. She asked Elvis why he didn’t cancel the wedding if he was so unhappy. He reportedly replied with a five-word statement: “I don’t have a choice.”
Why did Elvis Presley feel forced to marry Priscilla Presley?
For years, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu lived together. In the early 1960s, this living arrangement wasn’t as commonplace as today.
There were two key reasons why Elvis felt forced to marry Priscilla. One reason was personal, and the other professional.
Professionally, Elvis was reportedly violating a morals clause in his film contracts. By living with an underage girl, he broke that legal statute and could stand to lose a significant amount of his earnings.
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A morals clause protects an employer against any behavior that may be harmful to their image. By living with an underage girl outside of marriage, Elvis’ actions could have had consequences.
Priscilla’s father, Paul Beaulieu, could have also potentially had Elvis arrested for violating the Mann Act, making transporting a minor across state lines illegal for immoral purposes. Although she was 21 when she and Elvis married, Priscilla moved to Memphis to live with Elvis in Graceland at 17.
When did Elvis and Priscilla marry?
Before Christmas 1966, Presley proposed to Priscilla with a three 1/2-carat diamond surrounded by 20 more diamonds, designed by Memphis jeweler Harry Levitch. Five months later, Frank Sinatra loaned his private jet to the couple so they could fly from Palm Springs, NV, to Las Vegas to obtain their wedding license.
Presley and Priscilla tied the knot in a room at the Aladdin Hotel in front of 14 people. Nevada Supreme Court Judge David Zenoff officiated their ceremony.
A press conference followed the ceremony and champagne breakfast for 100 guests. However, it also contained the strangest combination of foods for an early-morning event.
A menu of the following foods followed: fried chicken, roast suckling pig, Oysters Rockefeller, clams, ham and eggs, poached salmon, and lobster.
Nine months to the day after Elvis and Priscilla married, they welcomed their first daughter. Lisa Marie Presley was born on Feb. 1, 1968, in Memphis, TN.
Elements of this story were first reported by Brides and Express.
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