Will Priscilla Presley Be Buried Next To Elvis At Graceland When She Dies?

When Lisa Marie Presley tragically died in January 2023, there was no question where her final resting place would be. Just like the rest of the Presley family, it was already a given that she'd be laid to rest at the family's massive Graceland property, where her father, Elvis Presley, son, Benjamin Keough, in-laws, Vernon and Gladys Presley, and Elvis' grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, are buried.

In 2003, nearly two decades before her passing, Lisa Marie had already claimed her burial spot at the estate. "The back lawn of Graceland is a graveyard, basically. How many people have a family grave in the backyard? How many people are reminded of their fate, their mortality, every f***ing day? All the graves are lined up and there's a spot there, waiting for me, right next to my grandmother," she once told Playboy. "I'm sure I'll end up there. Or I'll shrink my head and put it in a glass box in the living room. I'll get more tourists to Graceland that way." Just as she predicted, Lisa Marie was buried beside Benjamin at the Meditation Garden at the sprawling estate.

It's not a reach to assume that the rest of the Presleys would also have Graceland as their final resting place, with Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie's mother, and Elvis' ex-wife, expressing intent to be buried right next to the King of Rock. However, her request was reportedly shot down.

After Lisa Marie Presley's abrupt death, there was much controversy about who would handle her trust. Apparently, Priscilla Presley thought that her late daughter maintained that she remained one of the trustees, only to find out that an amendment was made relinquishing her privileges as co-trustee. Instead, Lisa Marie's daughter, Riley Keough, was named the sole trustee, which Priscilla then challenged in court.

While the two parties eventually reached a settlement, one of part of Priscilla's requests, which was to be buried next to her ex-husband, Elvis Presley, when she dies, had been rejected. "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," she told TMZ. Priscilla and Elvis may have divorced six years into their marriage, but the actor still held her late ex-husband in the highest regard, so it only makes sense that she wanted to be next to him. "He was such an impact in my life, in every way," she shared with Entertainment Tonight. "He was my mentor, he was my confidant... He was everything. In my book I wrote 'my God,' because I lived and breathed him."

Her request was denied, however, as Elvis was already buried between his parents' gravesites, and moving them to accommodate Priscilla would entail too much work. Priscilla reportedly made no qualms about the decision and quickly accepted it.

Riley Keough was reportedly under much distress when Priscilla Presley challenged her control over Lisa Marie Presley's trust shortly after Lisa Marie's death. "Riley has been mourning the loss of her mother and is heartbroken to have to deal with a trust dispute with a family member," a source shared with Entertainment Tonight. "She is heartbroken that this has turned into a public matter and knows her mother would never want this." The two were also reportedly communicating through their lawyers, leading many to believe there had been a falling out. However, Jackie Howse, one of Priscilla's fans who exchanged words with her at a meet-and-greet, told the outlet that their feud was overblown. "She just said, 'Don't believe what's been said,'" Howse shared the exchange, noting that Priscilla made it clear that "Riley and I get along well."

It wasn't until May 2023 that Keough and Priscilla settled the dispute. Per Ronson Shamoun, Priscilla's lawyer, everyone was amenable to the terms that were laid out. "They have reached a settlement. Families are happy," Shamoun disclosed to the media (via People). "Everyone is happy. Unified and together and excited for the future." Keough, for her part, shared the same sentiments, with her lawyer Justin Gold noting that she "would not have agreed to the settlement if she was not happy with it."