Elvis Presley Never Saw Priscilla Makeup-Free When They Were Married

The lore surrounding Priscilla Presley's marriage to Elvis Presley is wide and well-trodden. While it's not uncommon for famous couples to be unable to escape the spotlight over the course of a relationship, the fascination with the Presleys has endured for decades, even long after the King of Rock 'n' Roll's death in 1977. Rumors surrounding details of the famed union have been fueled once again by on-screen depictions like Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" in 2022, and more recently, Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla" in 2023. One thing that Coppola's biopic undoubtedly gets right is the fact that during their six years of marriage, Priscilla never allowed her husband to see her without makeup.

On a 2016 episode of "Loose Women" (via Yahoo! Life), Priscilla opened up about why her husband never saw her bare-faced. "He taught me, even in having a relationship, about always having a mystique," she said. "Some can't have the truth. I always had a little bit of makeup." Giving birth was no exception, as she famously wore her signature double lashes while giving birth to the daughter she shared with Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley.

Priscilla Presley was only 14 years old when she met the man who would become her only husband, despite many future relationships. Although she didn't marry Elvis Presley until seven years later, Priscilla never had the chance to develop an identity of her own before being thrust into the famous singer's world. Elvis was said to have controlled almost all aspects of her life, including who she was permitted to spend time with, as well as the makeup and clothing she wore. As she wrote in "Elvis and Me," "I was Elvis's living doll, his own living doll, to fashion as he pleased."

In 1973, Priscilla filed for divorce. Despite the ultimate separation, Priscilla and Elvis remained close. When Priscilla confirmed to the hosts of "Loose Women" that the two of them left the courthouse holding hands on the day their marriage legally ended, she also revealed a connection so strong that it made a lasting impression on the judge. "The judge said after, he said, 'I thought I was performing a marriage, not a divorce,'" she recalled. 

The "Naked Gun" actor also hinted at the independence she craved at that time in her life. As Priscilla stated on "Loose Women," "I did not divorce him because I didn't love him. He was the love of my life, but I had to find out about the world." After the divorce, Priscilla's life transformed once again.