Priscilla Presley Loved ‘Babying’ Elvis: ‘I Went to Extremes’
Priscilla Presley was 10 years younger than Elvis, but she enjoyed treating him like a baby. She explained that she did everything for him, overseeing operations at Graceland to ensure all was to his liking. She enjoyed doing this for him, but she would also face his wrath if she didn’t. Elvis would fly into a rage if everything weren’t as he wanted.
Priscilla Presley said she did everything for Elvis
Priscilla Presley moved into Graceland when she was a teenager. She balanced her high school classes with overseeing the household. Elvis slept late into the afternoon, so by the time she returned from school, she had time to prepare his breakfast and ensure everything was perfect for him.
“I loved babying Elvis,” she wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “He had a little boy quality that could bring out the mother instinct in any woman, a beguiling way of seeming utterly dependent. It was this aspect of his charm that made me want to hold him, shower him with affection, protect him, fight for him, and yes, even die for him.”
She explained that she did everything for him and grew jealous of anyone who tried to help him out.
“I went to extremes in taking care of him, from cutting his steak at dinner to making sure his water glass was always filled,” she wrote. “I enjoyed pampering and spoiling him and found myself jealous of others vying for his attention and approval.”
She shared what she did around Graceland
Priscilla shared that most of what she did for Elvis had to do with his home and meals. He didn’t want her help — or even her passing opinion — on his career or behavior.
“Anything I could think of doing for him, I did,” she wrote. “I made sure Graceland was always warm and inviting, with the lights turned low, as he preferred them, the temperature in his bedroom set to his exact desire (freezing), and the kitchen filled with the aroma of his favorite meals.”
She checked with the kitchen before meals to ensure the food was cooked correctly. Elvis liked his steak burnt and his potatoes perfectly whipped. Priscilla also lit candles to make the dining room feel romantic and inviting.
Elvis became angry at Priscilla Presley when things weren’t perfect
Priscilla enjoyed doing all this for Elvis. At the same time, though, she knew she’d face his ire if she didn’t.
“If something went wrong with his dinner, Elvis blew up,” she explained. “‘Why isn’t this steak done? Why didn’t you make sure the maids cooked it right? If you’d have done your job, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.'”
At the time, Priscilla took these outbursts very personally.
“Because of the continuous pressures and problems in Elvis’ life, all magnified by taking prescribed drugs, little things would set him off,” she said. “I took responsibility for everything in his life and always took it all too personally.”
