Priscilla Presley Is Granted Her Burial Wish As Riley Keough Takes Over Graceland

Aug 09, 2023

Elvis Presley is regarded as one of the most important musicians of the 20th century and is frequently dubbed “The King” for his incredible status in rock ‘n’ roll history. His energetic stage performances and provocative dancing skills gave him initial controversy but, in the end, led to long-term success and a lasting musical legacy.

Elvis’ wife, Priscilla Presley, was only married to him from 1967 until 1973. However, despite their short marriage, Priscilla dealt with a lot and also had some influence on Elvis’ life and music.

Elvis met Priscilla during his army career when she was just 14 years old. Their love affair led Priscilla to eventually move from Germany to join Elvis in Graceland. After many visits, Priscilla’s parents let her move with Elvis to Tennessee in 1963, and the two tied the knot in 1967. Less than a year after the pair got married, their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born. 

After Elvis’s death in 1977, Lisa Marie was listed as a beneficiary on her father’s last will, along with her grandfather Vernon Presley and great-grandmother Minnie Mae Presley. However, Vernon passed in 1979, and Minnie a year after. This made Lisa Marie the only surviving beneficiary of Elvis’s trust. In 1993, she inherited her father’s estate, which had grown to $100 million. 

Priscilla went on to date Brazilian screenwriter-turned-computer-programmer Marco Garibaldi from 1984 to 2006. They had one son, Navarone Garibaldi, who was born in March 1987.

Priscilla lived on without her beloved and famous husband after his death, and found great success as a businesswoman and actress, graciously carrying on the Presley name. Her children went on to become successful adults, finding careers for themselves in the entertainment industry. However, tragically, Lisa Marie passed away at the age of 54 on Jan. 12, 2023. 

As the sole child of Elvis, Lisa Marie inherited her father’s Memphis estate, Graceland. After Lisa Marie's passing, debate abounded as to who would inherit Graceland, eventually spurring a court battle between Priscilla and the only living heir in Lisa Marie’s will and Priscilla's granddaughter, actress Riley Keough. 

Entertainment Tonight obtained court documents showing Priscilla’s initial contention of Lisa Marie’s will, which contained an amendment made in 2016 that removed Priscilla as co-trustee and installed Riley and Lisa Marie’s late son, Benjamin Keough, instead. Priscilla argued that the 2016 amendment was “purported” and, in January 2023, filed a petition questioning the “authenticity and validity” of the document.

In the petition, Priscilla questioned the authenticity of the will and said that the amendment or updated version of the will was never delivered to her prior to Lisa Marie’s passing – which was required by the will, BBC said. Moreover, Priscilla asserted that her name was even misspelled, and Lisa Marie’s signatures appeared to have been inconsistent with her customary signatures. She then pursued legal action. 

Entertainment Tonight described the situation between Riley and Priscilla at the time to be very “tense and heartbreaking.” 

“Priscilla is adamant that she has a valid case and that she will prevail in court. Riley and Priscilla aren’t communicating at this time, but have been in communication through lawyers,” the outlet said. 

As both parties were “gearing up for court,” Riley made it known she had preferred to settle the matter privately. 

On May 18, 2023, both Priscilla and Riley came to an agreement on the matter and left the affair to be settled and confirmed by the court. 

Riley married stunt performer Ben Smith-Petersen in 2015, which was one year after they met on the set of "Mad Max." The couple welcomed a child in early 2023. While she was locked in the drama with her grandmother, Riley leaned on her family for support. 

However, the issue with her mom's trust came close to ending when she and Priscilla reached the settlement agreement in May. The agreement dictated that Riley would remain her mom's sole trustee and also serve as sub-trust for her teenage sisters, Harper and Finley Lockwood. According to her lawyer, Justin Gold, Riley will not charge a trustee fee as opposed to her grandmother's terms. This means that Priscilla would have charged a fee as a trustee.

The petition also stated that Riley would stay devoted to safeguarding and investing the wealth "in a manner consistent with the needs of the beneficiaries, and not influenced by the desire of a Trustee." For Priscilla, the matriarch was listed as the sub-trust for her son and Lisa Marie's stepbrother, Navarone, who would get 1/9 of the trust. 

She would also receive an undisclosed sum as a one-time payment from Riley. Priscilla would also be named Special Advisor to the Trust and be given a monthly payment for the role. Riley would attain sole charge over Graceland, meaning only by her authority and only if she saw fit could Priscilla ever be buried in Meditation Garden, where Elvis rests. 

After news of the settlement made headlines, Priscilla released a statement to ET refuting claims that she and her granddaughter had a rift. She referred to the situation as "a plea to the court and request for documentation interpretation" after her daughter's death. She also noted that all was resolved, adding there was never a lawsuit. 

Finally, on Aug. 4, 2023, the legal matter was put to rest when a judge named Riley the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s trust. In line with previous negotiations, Priscilla would preside over the 1/9 sub-trust for her son, Navarone, while the other 8/9 would be divided among Riley and her sisters, Harper and Finley.

Priscilla was also named Special Advisor to the Trust, which earned her a one-time, lump sum payment of an undisclosed amount, as well as a monthly payment from Riley, also of an undisclosed amount. 

With the development, Riley takes over all matters concerning Graceland, but she has conceded one very key point of contention for Priscilla. According to TMZ, one of Priscilla’s main requests was to be buried in Graceland next to Elvis, whom she divorced in 1973. 

"Although I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. It is my family's and my wish for me to be laid to rest with my daughter and the love of my life when that time comes. We appreciate the love from all of the fans," she told the outlet.

However, Elvis’s grave is flanked by his father, Vernon Presley, and grandmother, Minnie May Presley, making it nigh impossible to place Priscilla next to him without moving their graves. Thus, a compromise was made in the final agreement. 

"To the extent of her authority, Riley agrees to allow Priscilla to be buried upon her death in the Meditation Garden of Graceland," court documents stated. "The burial location will be at the location closest to Elvis Presley without moving any existing gravesite."

The development should give the 78-year-old Priscilla relief as, upon her passing, she will join Elvis’ mother, Gladys Presley, her daughter Lisa Marie and her grandson Benjamin to rest for eternity in the Meditation Garden.

What do you think of Priscilla’s request to be buried next to Elvis? Do you think she deserves to have her final resting place in Graceland? Let us know and pass this on to friends and family to see what they think of the matter.