As human beings, we’re all related somehow, but some more closely than others. And would you believe it but Elvis Presley and King Charles III have such a connection via Lisa Marie Presley, who died at just 54 in January.
According to the Genealogy website Geni, the line goes as follows: Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie was married to her fourth husband, guitarist Michael Lockwood, from 2006-2021. And the couple had twin daughters Harper and Finley Lockwood.
Now Michael’s grandfather was Reverent Richard Cameron Lockwood, whose great-great-great grandfather was Henry Lockwood, who had a brother called Ephraim Lockwood. This is where the family tree peaks before heading back down to The King.
READ MORE: Charles III would not be King with Iron Throne succession but this man
Ephraim Lockwood was the father of Abigail Steenrod, the mother of Elizabeth Thompson, the mother of Colonel William P Thompson, the father of Elizabeth Preston, the mother of Jerome Preston. The latter married Alice “Kiki” Karslake, who was the long-time mistress of Prince George, Duke of Kent.
Kiki Gwynne, as she was once known as a maiden, was a glamorous, drug-addicted American socialite and member of Kenya’s Happy Valley set. Rumours abounded that Prince George, the son of King George V and younger brother of King Edward VIII and King George VI, fathered a love child with her that was miscarried.
Of course, King George VI was the father of Queen Elizabeth II, who was the mother of King Charles III, making Elvis Presley his great uncle’s ex-partner’s husband’s fifth cousin twice removed’s wife’s father.
The King of Rock and Roll may not have been related to The King of England until long after his death, but in life, he had no choice but to turn down an invitation to perform for the monarch’s mother Queen Elizabeth II. Elvis was invited by The Crown to sing at the 1962 Royal Variety Performance alongside the likes of Bob Hope and Cliff Richard at the London Palladium.
Yet his manager Colonel Tom Parker rejected the opportunity, likely because he was a Dutch illegal immigrant who wouldn’t let his star perform abroad out of fear he couldn’t reenter the USA. Elvis always wanted to go to the UK to perform, but only set foot on British soil once, when changing flights to Germany for his army service between 1958-60.
No doubt had he lived, the singer would have relished the opportunity of performing for The Queen – had he gone on to get rid of Colonel Parker later in life.
