Why did Pricilla marry Elvis

[MissyM]

Given that he had been having a fling with Margaret, given that as she said he was so controlling, given that she said he was away alot, given that she said he even was going to send her away, given that she hated they guys being around? I just do not get it?? Back in that day also many women felt like if they slept with a guy, they should marry them but she supposedly had not. (hey I know a lot of women who thought that) Did she think she was going to change him and everything?

[presley31]

If you look in red and elvis chat on the phone you will see elvis was railroaded in to marrying priscilla, but than again love might have to do with it too.

[EDOEP]

Given that he had been having a fling with Margaret, given that as she said he was so controlling, given that she said he was away alot, given that she said he even was going to send her away, given that she hated they guys being around? I just do not get it?? Back in that day also many women felt like if they slept with a guy, they should marry them but she supposedly had not. (hey I know a lot of women who thought that) Did she think she was going to change him and everything?

missy m,

i highly recommend suzanne finstad's 'child bride'.

certainly 'love' had to do with it in some way on both sides. i doubt however it was the major force in either his or her decision. this with hindsight and counting in all that we have learned from various sources the last 40 years and especially with regard to prissy's behaviour over the last 30 years.

i think to this relationship there can applied a sentence prince charles said in the press conference when he announced his engagement with lady di. he was asked by the interviewer if their decision was based on 'love'. his answer: yes, whatever love means.'

hugs, ellie

[elvislady]

Wouldnt you marry elvis if you had the chance.
elvislady

[presley31]

Wouldnt you marry elvis if you had the chance.
elvislady

Good point

[EDOEP]

Wouldnt you marry elvis if you had the chance.
elvislady

with the knowledge i have today about him - no!

i would have neither accepted being cheated at constantly, nor would i have accepted remaining at a high-school-level in my education nor do i like to be told what to dress and eat nor do i want to have around myself dozens of 'buddies'.

since priscilla had that knowledge back then after having lived with him for years, she knew exactly what was lying ahead of her.

don't get me wrong - i adore elvis to some extent despite all his shortcomings .... but being married to him under THOSE conditions? no, thank you.

hugs, ellie

[ksimms2]

Probably Priscilla thought she could change him after they married.....I think she did love him and wanted to be his wife, etc. It's sad that he did not change after they married - maybe he would still be with us today.

Would I have married him knowing how he was? I don't know - but would have been really tempted and maybe would have lived with him......how exciting would that be? But also would for sure try and straighten him up.

[presley31]

Probably Priscilla thought she could change him after they married.....I think she did love him and wanted to be his wife, etc. It's sad that he did not change after they married - maybe he would still be with us today.

Would I have married him knowing how he was? I don't know - but would have been really tempted and maybe would have lived with him......how exciting would that be? But also would for sure try and straighten him up.

well said kelly

[elvislady]

with the knowledge i have today about him - no!

i would have neither accepted being cheated at constantly, nor would i have accepted remaining at a high-school-level in my education nor do i like to be told what to dress and eat nor do i want to have around myself dozens of 'buddies'.

since priscilla had that knowledge back then after having lived with him for years, she knew exactly what was lying ahead of her.

don't get me wrong - i adore elvis to some extent despite all his shortcomings .... but being married to him under THOSE conditions? no, thank you.

hugs, ellie

I am talking about 1967 not 2007.
elvislady

[EDOEP]

I am talking about 1967 not 2007.
elvislady

so do i ..... in 67 she had lived with him for 4+ years. what we only learned later she knew then.

hence my repsonse remains the same.

hugs, ellie

[elvislady]

so do i ..... in 67 she had lived with him for 4+ years. what we only learned later she knew then.

hence my repsonse remains the same.

hugs, ellie

Fair comment.
elvislady

[MissyM]

I think her parents were nuts for even sending her to him. Gees, at sixteen, I wasn't even allowed to cross the state line. And that's really close for me. But the drinking age there was 21 and in mineit was 18. Lots of my friends did with fake I.D.s. I didn't want to do it but even if I did, I'd never get away with it. My parents were not fools.

[LovesElvis]

I think her parents were nuts for even sending her to him.

I'm with you on this one. As a mother myself, there is no way under the sun I'd let my 16yo daughter fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean to live 'next door' to the world's most famous and beautiful bachelor (since, ostensibly, she was going to live with Vernon & Dee). No freaking way.

Every book I've ever read says that Elvis was quite the charmer and could talk anyone into just about anything when he wanted to. But still. I cannot for the life of me figure out what her parents were thinking - or not thinking - when they allowed her to go there.

To everyone's credit, at least she finished highschool - but just barely, it seems.

[MissyM]

And it's not like they knew Vernon and Dee that well. I couldn't spend the night at someone's house till my parents knew the parents. What also doesn't make sense is that most military kids I knew had stricter parents than mine.

[Elvis_Lady_1984]

i believe there was more to the story about her and elvis' marriage. let me bring up..nine months to the day lisa was born...strange??? and i think that he was kinda forced into it because he didnt want to have people thinkin badly of him since he did bring her over at 16, and now was unsure about marriage, especially with the flings he had/was having..like with Ann-margret, for one. imo....i dont think either were ready for marriage.

[Alessia]

Every book I've ever read says that Elvis was quite the charmer and could talk anyone into just about anything when he wanted to. But still. I cannot for the life of me figure out what her parents were thinking - or not thinking - when they allowed her to go there.

Call me cynical, but I think it was all about the money for her parents. If they'd wanted Elvis to back off, all they had to do was call up Colonel Parker and tell him that if Elvis didn't stay away from Priscilla, they'd go to the media. That might not have worked with every celebrity, but I'm pretty sure Elvis wouldn't have risked a Jerry Lee Lewis type scandal.

And Priscilla's parents couldn't have been unaware of Elvis' liking to play the field. He was very honest about that in his interviews in the 50s.

[utmom2008]

I think her parents were nuts for even sending her to him. Gees, at sixteen, I wasn't even allowed to cross the state line. And that's really close for me. But the drinking age there was 21 and in mineit was 18. Lots of my friends did with fake I.D.s. I didn't want to do it but even if I did, I'd never get away with it. My parents were not fools.

That is THE most interesting thing to me about the whole E and P situation. I have a daughter...I can't fathom sending her to live with a 24 year old entertainer when she was 14. Do you think that maybe Ann saw dollar signs?? I wasn't allowed to go on a "car date" until I was 16........

[MissyM]

Yeh, there is some controversy about if they were doing the wild thing, pre-marriage. And just because Lisa was born 9 months later doesn't mean anything. Lots of first babies are born early. Every single one in my family was.

[utmom2008]

missy m,

i highly recommend suzanne finstad's 'child bride'.

certainly 'love' had to do with it in some way on both sides. i doubt however it was the major force in either his or her decision. this with hindsight and counting in all that we have learned from various sources the last 40 years and especially with regard to prissy's behaviour over the last 30 years.

i think to this relationship there can applied a sentence prince charles said in the press conference when he announced his engagement with lady di. he was asked by the interviewer if their decision was based on 'love'. his answer: yes, whatever love means.'

hugs, ellie

Hey Ellie....I just bought "Child Bride" this morning as a matter of fact. I can't wait to start reading it. What seems to be the general opinion on this book???

[cameron]

Call me cynical, but I think it was all about the money for her parents. If they'd wanted Elvis to back off, all they had to do was call up Colonel Parker and tell him that if Elvis didn't stay away from Priscilla, they'd go to the media. That might not have worked with every celebrity, but I'm pretty sure Elvis wouldn't have risked a Jerry Lee Lewis type scandal.

And Priscilla's parents couldn't have been unaware of Elvis' liking to play the field. He was very honest about that in his interviews in the 50s.

I agree, Alessia.
At that time in his life/career ; Parker could have stopped it all.
This is one I can't blame Elvis for. The parents of Priscilla should/could have stopped it by not letting her go.
Why did he marry her? I think he cared for her very much, just not "in love" ,whatever that would mean to them.
You can convince yourself of a lot of things when you try to do "the responsible thing."