Elvis Presley fans have been ‘All Shook Up’ at the intriguing prospect of purchasing a unique item from the life of their musical icon. Divorce Papers that were signed by ‘the King’ and his wife at the time, Priscilla, on 15th August 1972 were to be auctioned off this weekend for an expected price of up to £25,000.

Rare signature

It quickly became apparent that the obvious rarity of the papers was not the only thing in their favour in terms of arousing the buyers’ interest though.

Excited British auctioneer Andrew Aldridge of Henry Aldridge & Son believes that they not only represent a “fabulous piece of showbusiness history” but that being both large and bold in their format that they are “exceptional examples of Elvis’ signature.”

Aldridge added that during his 42-year life, it was uncommon for Elvis to sign using his full name of Elvis Aaron Presley. He does just that on the prized divorce papers though, with the inclusion of Aaron with two ‘A’s matching the name that appears on Elvis’ tombstone and ensuring that the auction lot was always likely to strike a chord with many would be buyers.

In all, Elvis’ signature appears three times on the papers and Priscilla’s four times, in addition to those of the attending lawyers.

Settlement details

Included among the papers are details of the settlement that was agreed upon between the splitting couple. Priscilla was to receive two instalments of $50,000 and half of the income from their three residences in Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Beverley Hills. In addition, Elvis signed over a Mercedes Benz, Cadillac Eldorado and a Harley Davidson motorbike.

Las Vegas’ marriage

The celebrated couple were married in May 1967 in the glitzy gambling venue of Las Vegas and their relationship was blessed with a daughter, Lisa Marie, who came into the world in February of the following year.

Daughter’s troubled marriages

Lisa Marie (now 49) was to become no stranger to divorce proceedings herself in due course, having now been married four times during her own sometimes turbulent lifetime, including pop megastar Michael Jackson and the actor Nicolas Cage (‘National Treasure’, ‘Con Air’) among her former husbands.

Post-divorce history

Elvis died after a heart attack in August 1977, leading to a period of mourning by his legion of fans across the world, many of whom still cherish his memory and contribution to the development of popular music. He remains for many as the undisputed “King of Rock and Roll” and the interest in his life and memorabilia remains strong to this day.

Since their divorce, Priscilla has gone on become a successful businesswoman and actress, featuring alongside funny man Leslie Nielsen in the ‘Naked Gun’ films and memorably as Jenna Wade in long-running television series ‘Dallas’.