Our hearts can’t handle this! Forty years after Elvis Presley‘s tragic death on Aug. 16, 1977, Priscilla Presley is remembering life with her late ex-husband inside his beloved Memphis mansion, Graceland. The 72-year-old recently opened up about what it was really like to be married to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

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“I feel his spirit here. Behind the gates is where he felt most comfortable, where he could just be himself,” she shared during a recent emotional interview on the Today Show. “I can visualize him walking down the stairs. We would go out to the stables every morning and just talk. It was probably one of my favorite times.”

priscilla and elvis presley

Despite the fact that their marriage ended in divorce, it’s nice to see that she still values her memories of Elvis. She went on to explain that while they led a glamorous life, they also had many dark times together. “I saw him at one of the most vulnerable times of his life. Losing his mother and then being drafted, which was devastating at the top of his career,” she added. “I feel a
big responsibility to them [his family]. Even now, there’s such a connection. We have so many things that you can’t share with anyone else.”

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And she’ll always be connected to the Presley family through her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who was Elvis’ only child. Earlier this month on the 40th anniversary of his death, Priscilla and Lisa Marie led a candlelight vigil at Graceland to remember him. She said, “I loved being his wife [and] taking care of him.”

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