On Sunday, Jan. 22, Lisa Marie Presley was laid to rest near her father, Elvis Presley, and son, Benjamin Keough, at Graceland in Memphis, TN. The singer’s memorial service was attended by both famous faces and scores of mourners who came to pay their respects and honor Lisa Marie’s life. Among the attendees were her daughters, Riley Keough and 14-year-old twins Finley and Harper Lockwood; “Elvis” star Austin Butler and his girlfriend, model Kaia Gerber; and Sarah Ferguson.
Lisa Marie died at age 54 on Jan. 12 after paramedics were called to her home for a possible cardiac arrest, per People. Later that day, her mother, Priscilla Presley, confirmed to People that her daughter had passed away. “It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Presley said. “She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment.”
Messages of support came pouring in from celebrities and fans of Lisa Marie alike, and that same love for the singer could be felt at her memorial service, which was live streamed for those who couldn’t attend. Joel Weinshanker, Elvis Presley Enterprises’ managing partner, began the ceremony by reminding attendees that Lisa Marie only had one request for her funeral: “Don’t make it sad.” He added, “Lisa, we will try to honor your wish today.”
Former Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton also said a few words in honor of how much Lisa Marie meant to the city. “The city loved her sweet, loved her tender, and loved her truly,” he said. “God bless you.”
Meanwhile, the singer–songwriter’s longtime friend Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, spoke at the ceremony as well. “I stand here with great honor because we called each other ‘sissy,’ and I’ve been with you all for all your lives really,” she began. “Sissy, this is for you with affection. My late mother-in-law used to say that nothing [that] can be said can begin to take away the anguish and the pain of these moments, because grief is the price we pay for love. And how right she was.”
In between the speeches, there were musical interludes featuring performances by Axl Rose, Alanis Morissette, Billy Corgan, and more. The musical moments left many in the audience wiping their eyes, including Keough, who had her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, read a speech she wrote in honor of her mother.
“I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters. Thank you for giving me strength, my heart, my empathy, my courage, my sense of humor, my manners, my temper, my wildness, my tenacity. I’m a product of your heart, my sisters are a product of your heart, my brother is a product of your heart,” he read, revealing that Lisa Marie was a grandmother before she died.
See photos from Presley’s emotional memorial service ahead.
