Getty Flowers left by fans outside Graceland.
Priscilla Presley shared a tearful goodbye during her eulogy to her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. During a brief message she shared at her daughter’s memorial, she read a poem written by one of her granddaughters.
‘She Knew It Was Close to the End,’ Priscilla Presley Read
Priscilla Presley read the poem written by one of her granddaughters during her eulogy at Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial service on Sunday, January 22, CNN reported.
The letter read, in part: “She knew it was close to the end. Survivor’s guilt, some would say, but a broken heart, is the doing of her death. Now she is home where she always belonged, but my heart is missing her love.”
Lisa Marie’s son, Benjamin Keough, died by suicide in 2020. She is survived by three daughters: Riley Keough, 33, and twins Finley and Harper Lockwood, 14. Lisa Marie was buried in Graceland next to Benjamin.
Priscilla teared up as she read the poem, People reported. She continued, reading: “She knew that I loved her. I fear I would never touch her. But the old soul is always with me. She doesn’t drift above.’ That says it all, and thank you all for being here… Our heart is broken. Lisa, we all love you.”
Family friends also spoke at the memorial, which was held on the Graceland mansion lawn, including Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York; Joel Winshanker the managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises; former Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton; and manager Jerry Schilling, CNN reported.
Riley Keough’s husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, read a letter that Keough wrote during the memorial, CNN reported.
“Thank you for showing me that love is the only thing that matters in this life,” he read. “I hope I can love my daughter the way that you loved me.”
Thousands Attended the Memorial
Thousands attended the public memorial to say goodbye to Lisa Marie, People reported. It was expected that at least 5,000 people would attend, and they were already lining up an hour before the memorial was scheduled to begin.
The program described the memorial as a “Celebration of Life,” and began with Jason Clark and The Tennessee Mass Choir performing “Amazing Grace,” People reported.
After the memorial, family and close friends first paid their respects to Lisa Marie at the Meditation Garden, where she was buried. Then fans were allowed to visit and leave flowers of their own.
Riley Siegfried, a fan from Texas, told People that the memorial “was such an amazing ceremony with the music and the different celebrities that came up and told their stories. It was very impactful and beautiful.”
Lisa Marie, daughter of Priscilla and Elvis Presley, died at the age of 54 after suffering cardiac arrest, People reported. TMZ reported that her housekeeper found her unresponsive, and her ex-husband Danny Keough had performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. She later died at a local hospital.
After her daughter’s death, Priscilla asked for privacy and thanked everyone who had prayed for Lisa Marie, People reported.
Priscilla Presley has starred in two Hallmark movies: “Wedding at Graceland” with Kellie Pickler and Wes Brown in 2019, and “Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays” with Kaitlin Doubleday, Adrian Grenier, and Chase Bryant in 2019.
She said Elvis would have loved “Wedding at Graceland,” Good Housekeeping reported at the time.
READ NEXT: Watch Deleted Scenes from ‘Three Wise Men & a Baby’