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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Joel Leaver

How old was Priscilla Presley when she first met Elvis? Inside their early relationship

Questions have been raised about relationships that Elvis Presley had during his career, with it having been claimed amid a recent documentary that he "liked young girls".

The late singer's most notable relationship was with Priscilla Presley, now 78, whom he was married to for six years and who's the mother of his late daughter Lisa Marie Presley.

Their relationship - which has raised questions over the decades since they first got together - is the subject of an upcoming film, which is due to be released later this year.

Concerns have been shared about his grim dating history in the past, including in relation to Priscilla, who was just a teenager when she first met Elvis, who was in his twenties.

Priscilla has previously discussed her early relationship with Elvis - who died in 1977, aged 42 - including having written about their initial interactions and first few years together.

Elvis Presley's (right) most high-profile relationship was with Priscilla Presley (left) (Bettmann Archive)

Priscilla wrote about her initial interactions with Elvis for an article published by People magazine in 1985, saying: "When we met, I was an impressionable 14 years old. He was 24."

She recalled meeting him in 1959 when they both lived on an armed forces base in Germany, writing that she was invited to meet him at a party at his home. Although her father had reservations, she said, he was assured by her being chaperoned, for example.

Elvis initially thought she was older than she was, according to Priscilla, who added that when she admitted to being in the ninth grade, he replied: "Why, you're just a baby."

She told Barbara Walters in an interview said to be from 1985 that her parents "had a lot of faith" in Elvis and that they had expected that it was a "one time opportunity" to meet the singer, who by that point had already begun to find success.

Priscilla however wrote in People that she was asked back and said that on her third visit she was invited upstairs to his room, writing that Elvis promised to never "harm" her and assured that he would treat her "just like a sister".

She said that they cuddled and that she had her "first real kiss" that night. And she wrote that by the "fourth date" her parents had requested that they meet him.

Priscilla has spoken about her relationship with Elvis over the years (Earl Gibson III/REX/Shutterstock)

Priscilla - who said that her parents did at times try to prevent her seeing him - added that her and Elvis went on to develop a "nightly ritual," which included "passionate kisses".

She said Elvis also shared "his secrets" and ambitions, and added that she found it difficult to concentrate at school because she was staying up late during evenings with him.

Priscilla wrote in the article that on the night before Elvis was to return to the US in 1960, she "begged him to consummate" their relationship but said he said she was "too young".

She said they shared "infrequent calls" when he did return to the US and that she was invited to visit him in Los Angeles in 1962, with her father making demands for her attendance, including that she had to be chaperoned and write daily letters.

They first met in around 1959 and ended up getting married in 1967 (Getty Images)

The following year, she said, her parents allowed her to relocate to Memphis to be closer to Elvis. Conditions included not living with him and that she would finish high school.

Although initially living with Elvis' parents, Priscilla said that she ended up slowly moving in to his home Graceland. The couple went on to get married a few years later in 1967.

Priscilla - who was 21 at the time - has said they didn't consummate their relationship until their wedding night, telling Closer: "That was a promise he made to my father."

She wrote in her article for People magazine that Elvis believed "the 'right' girl was to be saved for marriage," with Priscilla adding that she was that person in question.

They welcomed their daughter Lisa Marie - who passed away earlier this year, aged 54 - the following year and they ended up getting divorced five years later in 1973.

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