Priscilla Presley Saw Her Parents as a ‘Threat’ to Her Relationship with Elvis

When Priscilla Presley began dating Elvis Presley, she was still in high school. The pair met when Elvis was stationed in Germany with the Army, and they continued their relationship after he returned to the United States. Her parents weren’t happy about the situation. They didn’t like their age gap or the fact that Priscilla had to travel abroad to see Elvis. As a result, Priscilla began to view them as a threat to her happiness.

Priscilla Presley thought her parents were jeopardizing her happiness with Elvis

After Elvis returned to the United States, Priscilla visited him at his home in Memphis. She had to return to Germany for school, but Elvis wanted her to extend her trip. When she called her father to ask, he refused, insisting that she get on the plane as planned. This did not go over well with her, as Priscilla recalled in her book Elvis and Me.

“‘I hate them. I hate them both,’ I yelled like a spoiled child. ‘Why are they stopping us? They just want me home to babysit, to take care of the kids, that’s all.'”

Despite her anger, she went back home on the scheduled date. Elvis told Priscilla to warmly greet her parents so they didn’t think her relationship was impacting her attitude. She couldn’t manage this, though.

“Although Elvis said that I should greet my parents with a friendly smile, from the moment I got off the plane, my attitude was one of defiance,” she wrote. “I now believed that my parents were a threat to my future happiness. I didn’t realize that their fears and concerns were entirely reasonable. All that mattered to me was what Elvis and I wanted, and no one was going to stand in our way.”

Elvis wasn’t happy with Priscilla Presley’s parents 

Though Elvis instructed Priscilla to be friendly to her parents, he wasn’t happy with them either. When Priscilla ended the phone call with her father, he flew into a rage.

“Goddamn Captain Beaulieu,” he said of Priscilla’s father. “We just called to see if Cilla could stay a few more days and he comes off with this cocky attitude and refuses with his jargon about making agreements.”

Elvis’ dad, Vernon, tried to calm him down by reminding him that Priscilla had to go back to school.

“‘School, what the hell do I care about school?’ Elvis snapped, ignoring Vernon’s efforts to soothe him. ‘Put her into school here, that’ll solve everything. She doesn’t need school. Hell, they don’t teach you anything nowadays anyway.'”

Priscilla’s parents weren’t happy when they heard this idea, but they ultimately agreed to let her finish high school in Memphis.

Her mother disliked Elvis even before she met him

Priscilla’s parents had many justified concerns about their daughter’s relationship. It didn’t win Elvis any favors with them, but, according to Priscilla, they hadn’t liked him very much to begin with. Long before they met, Priscilla’s mother believed Elvis’ music and performances were obscene.

“Some members of his adult audience were less enthusiastic,” Priscilla wrote. “Soon his performances were labeled obscene. My mother stated emphatically that he was a bad influence for teenage girls. He arouses things in them that shouldn’t be aroused. If there’s ever a mothers’ march against Elvis Presley, I’ll be the first in line.'”