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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Scarlett O'Toole

Who owns Elvis' Graceland? Scene of death, tourist attraction and centre of family war

Priscilla Presley has gone head-to-head with her granddaughter Riley Keough over Lisa Marie Presley's $35million trust, which includes Elvis Presley's beloved Graceland mansion.

Following the sudden death of Elvis' only child, many people have wondered what has happened to the Memphis mansion and who will take control of the Tennessee estate.

The iconic property, which attracts fans from all over the world, was inherited by Lisa Marie following her father's death in 1977.

Elvis purchased the mansion at the age of 22 on March 19, 1959, and lived there until his death on August 16, 1977.

The King of Rock & Roll was discovered at the home by his then-fiancée Ginger Alden, who found him unconscious after suffering a heart attack.

Elvis Presley purchased Graceland at the height of his fame (Michael Ochs Archives)
Lisa Marie Presley inherited the mansion following her father's death (Damian Dovarganes/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

He was just 42 years old.

Lisa Marie became the the sole owner of the mansion when the trust holding her inheritance dissolved on her 25th birthday in 1993.

Graceland has become a popular tourist attraction over the years, with public tours on offer as well as sprawling museum exhibits.

It's said to be the second-most visited home museum in the US after the White House, attracting more than 600,000 guests a year.

The Memphis mansion is open to the public but the second floor has remained private, with only Presley family members allowed.

In 2013, Lisa Marie spoke about her intentions to hand over the property to her family when she died, saying: "Graceland was given to me and will always be mine.

Graceland will be passed to Lisa Marie's daughters (Startraks/REX/Shutterstock)
Riley is Lisa Marie's eldest daughter (Getty Images for ELLE)

"And then passed to my children. It will never be sold."

Following her tragic death on January 12, a representative of Graceland said the property will now be passed on to Lisa Marie’s three daughters, Riley, Harper and Finley.

The Presley family came together to lay Lisa Marie to rest at a public memorial service earlier this year, but now they are more divided than ever.

Four days after the memorial, Priscilla filed a petition in court questioning the "authenticity" of an amendment to her daughter's trust.

The 2016 amendment has seemingly cut Priscilla out of any claim to Elvis' estate.

Priscilla and Lisa Marie's former business manager, Barry Siegel, were removed as trust managers - and control given to her eldest children, Riley and Benjamin Keough.

Tragically, Benjamin died by suicide at the age of 27 in 2020.

Riley Keough is involved in a legal battle with her grandmother (Charbonneau/REX/Shutterstock)

Priscilla is seeking to invalidate the 2016 amendment, claiming it was never delivered to her while Lisa Marie was alive, as required in the original trust.

While challenging the legitimacy of the document, she also noted that her name was not spelled correctly.

Priscilla also claims that Lisa Marie's sign off 'appears inconsistent with her daughter's usual and customary signature' and was neither witnessed nor notarised.

A legal expert has claimed Priscilla could triumph in the case if a court determines "improper procedure" was followed.

Mike Mandell told The Mirror: "The trust apparently required that any changes made to the trust (e.g. the 2016 amendment) would need to be delivered to Priscilla Pressley during Lisa Marie’s lifetime.

"According to Priscilla, this did not occur.

"If this is true and a court determines that this was the only process for the amendment, then the 2016 amendment could be invalidated based on improper procedure."

He added: "If the trust’s exclusive process for the amendment required that Priscilla be notified, and she wasn’t, then it would likely (and should be) invalidated.

"But if there were other ways to amend the trust (without providing notice) or if it comes out that Priscilla was notified, then the amendment should likely withstand this procedural argument."

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