Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial service recapped: FEMAIL looks back at how emotional day played out

Family, friends and fans descended on Graceland today to pay tribute to Lisa Marie Presley.

Elvis’ only daughter tragically passed away at the age of 54 last week after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California. Later today, she will be laid to rest alongside her father and son Benjamin, who died by suicide aged 27 in July 2020.

The mansion, which Lisa Marie Presley owned, has been turned into a museum and tourist attraction that hundreds of thousands of fans visit each year to celebrate the life and music of Elvis, who died in 1977. 

Mourners came out in their thousands to say their final farewell to the mother-of-four today – with star-studded guests such as Sarah Ferguson, Austin Butler and Alanis Morrissette in attendance. 

Here FEMAIL takes a look back at how the emotional farewell played out in Tennessee.

Fans queuing from 5am 

Ahead of the ceremony today, hundreds of fans began queuing outside Graceland from 5am in order to be able to watch the proceedings.

Having secured a spot in the length queue, mourners were given a copy of the Order of Service – featuring a photo of the late singer and the tributes that had been incorporated into the day.

These included performances from Alanis Morrissette and Axl Rose as well as readings from Sarah Ferguson and Lisa Marie’s mother Priscilla.

Hundreds of fans are pictured lining up outside Graceland Sunday morning for the service

Fans gathered outside the tent reserved for family and friends to pay their respects

An attendant handed out programs to the arriving fans on Sunday morning

Thousands of mourners descended on Graceland Sunday morning for Lisa Marie Presley’s funeral service

A fan gathers outside Graceland on Sunday to pay her respects to the princess of rock n’ roll

Even some younger Elvis Presley and Lisa Marie Presley fans were in attendance on Sunday

The order of service from today’s memorial (pictured) reveals that among those paying tribute to the late star are Sarah Ferguson, Alanis Morrissette and Axl Rose

As well as singing, there were special tributes to Lisa Marie, given by people including her mother Priscilla Presley among others, and religious readings

Fans gathered to pay their respects to Lisa Marie at the memorial today, which was held in  Memphis, Tennessee

Sharing a glimpse from his spot in the queue, Twitter user Sebastien Blanc wrote: ‘Hundreds of cars and hundreds of Elvis Presley fans lined up early Sunday to enter Graceland, the King’s legendary property in Memphis, Tennessee.’ 

In the lead-up to the service, Kevin Kane, the chief executive of Memphis Tourism told the Times that  Graceland’s 450-room hotel had completely sold-out.

What’s more, other establishments near the museum and Beale Street were also ‘seeing an uptick in last minute reservations for the weekend’ as fans scrambled to pay their respects.

Some mourners held flowers as they waited for the service to begin under the tall trees on the lawn of Graceland, the home where Lisa Marie lived as a child with her father.

Powerful nod to Elvis in opening performance

The Tennessee Mass Choir opened the proceedings with a powerful rendition of Amazing Grace

A stage was also constructed for the public service on the front lawn with a podium. Hundreds of seats were set out around it and screens were erected around the burial site.

Jason Clark and The Tennessee Mass Choir opened the proceedings with a powerful rendition of Amazing Grace, which Elvis himself famously covered in 1971.

Filmmaker Joel Weinshanker then said Lisa-Marie had requested that her funeral ‘not be sad’, before adding that they would try to honour her wish in the coming proceedings.

This was followed by Pastor Dwayne Hunt delivering a prayer, saying: ‘While her light has gone out, she leaves this light to her children and her mother so that they can rise above the darkness of this grief.

Filmmaker Joel Weinshanker (pictured) said Lisa-Marie had previously requested that her funeral ‘not be sad’ occasion 

Pastor Dwayne Hunt speaks at the public memorial for Ms Presley earlier today, before delivering a prayer

‘Let them be strengthened by the presence of the many who have gathered today to share their sorrow. Even in this time of pain, we are grateful for the beautiful gift that was Lisa Marie.’

‘Her passion, her strength, her brilliance and her tenaciousness. And let the memories share today and the word spoken today bring joy to our hearts.

‘May we all experience your peace in our pain, your healing in our hurt, your light in our darkness, in the name of this place where we stand in Graceland reminds us to be thankful for grace that gives us strength even in our weakness.

‘So, let immeasurable love abound in this place and make her peace abide in our hearts, Amen.’

Priscilla Presley and other members of Lisa Marie Presley’s family gathered ahead of the ceremony

Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber were pictured attending Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial together at Graceland on Sunday

The former Mayor of Memphis recalled the ‘hard times’ the city faced when Ms Presley was born in 1968, but pointed to how important her birth was at the time.

During his speech, AC Wharton said that prior to Beyonce and Jay Z having their daughter Blue Ivy and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex having their son Archie, Elvis and Priscilla had their daughter Lisa Marie.

As the only daughter of the King of Rock and Roll, he described her as ‘the conduit to the throne’ and ‘the keeper of the flame’.

Wharton added: ‘I don’t know much about Hollywood, I can’t speak for New York or any other city where Lisa may have spent time, but I can tell you that Lisa Marie was this city’s precious jewel.’

Sarah Ferguson’s tearful tribute

A tearful Sarah Ferguson then quoted the late Queen as she paid a touching tribute to the children of her close friend Lisa Marie Presley. 

Fergie became a close friend after the pair met for the first time in the US in 2009, before Ms Presley attended the Duchess’ 50th birthday party at London’s Lanesborough Hotel that same year.  

Ms Presley also stayed at the duchess’s villa in Marbella to privately grieve the death of her ex-husband Michael Jackson.

Speaking at the service today, Fergie said it was a ‘great honour’ as she described Ms Presley as ‘extraordinary’.

She told mourners: ‘You talked about the flames and I think it’s time that we all need to stoke our flames within to do what Joel said, which was to celebrate the extraordinary Lisa Marie.

Sarah Ferguson, 63, gave a touching tribute to her friend Lisa Marie Presley who died earlier this month aged 54

‘And I stand here with great honour because we called each other sissy and I’ve been with you being with you all for all your lives really. And I stand here with great honour.’

She continued: ‘Sissy this is for you with affection. My late mother-in-law used to say that nothing 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. 

‘Today we talk about Lisa-Marie. We look at Priscilla as a mother to Lisa-Marie, we look at Lisa-Marie and say you lost a son. Mothers losing children, there are no words for it. So today we talk about action. 

‘Action is the way we can go forward, we can light the flame. So for Riley, for Harper and Finley and the entire family, we march forward in support of you. All of us are with you. If you just put out your hand we will be there. I will definitely be there.’

Among those speaking at the memorial event today were Sarah Ferguson (pictured) who said yesterday that she believed Lisa Marie had died from a ‘broken heart’, following the death of her son Benjamin in 2020

Fergie rounded off her tribute with an extract that David Frost had written for his son George prior to his death.

She said: ‘I have had my life and enjoyed every second, but as it is, another life has beckoned. It is important to know that I’ve not gone, and I hope that all you on my light has shone. 

‘Stay in that sunshine, rest never in the shade. Don’t curse my absence as this light you’ll evade. I live in the smiles, the moon the stars and sky and I feel eternal pride as I watch you all fly. 

‘And for my darling children who wonder what to do, just have a wonderful time as I will living through you.’

‘Our hearts are broken’: Priscilla fights back tears 

Lisa Marie’s mother Priscilla then fought back tears as she took to the stage to pay tribute to her daughter.

Priscilla Presley led her family’s tributes to her late daughter at a memorial service on Sunday

Ben Smith-Petersen read his wife, Riley Keough’s, eulogy for her mother

She shared a poem by one of Lisa Marie Presley’s 14-year-old daughters, in which she called her mother ‘an icon, a role model and a superhero.’ 

The poem read: ‘She always knew she wouldn’t be here too long… some say a broken heart killed her,’ referring to her son, Benjamin’s untimely death by suicide in July 2020.

Speaking for herself, the 77-year-old grieving mother then added: ‘Our hearts are broken. Lisa we all love you.’

Lisa Marie’s other daughter, actress Riley Keough, was apparently too overcome with grief to stand up on stage and provide her eulogy herself, so she had her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, read it for her.

In the eulogy, Riley, 33, shared how she is ‘certain’ she ‘chose the best mother in this world’ before describing some of the memories she has of her mother.

‘I remember you driving me in my car seat playing Aretha Franklin,’ she shared in the eulogy. ‘I remember the feeling I’d get when you picked me up from school.’

‘Thank you for showing me that love is the only thing that matters in this world,’ she concluded, noting that she and her late brother, as well as her half-sisters are ‘products of your heart.

‘We are you, you are us,’ Riley wrote. ‘Thank you for trying so hard for all of us.

Axl Rose takes to the stage

Lisa Marie’s close friend Axl Rose said he ‘never in a million years imagined being here’ giving a tribute to the late star

He then proceeded to sing November Rain to the hundreds of mourning friends and family

Lisa Marie’s close friend was another celebrity guest who took to the stage to pay tribute to the late star.

‘I’m still in shock as I feel like I will continue to be for quite some time. I feel like I’m suppose to be texting her like right now,’ rock star began, 60. 

He added: ‘I never in a million years imagined being here, singing under these circumstances.

”This is truly devastating and I’m sure excruciating for everyone here.’ 

Before singing November Rain, he added, ‘I do know Lisa loved her family very much, and was fiercely protective of her father and his legacy.’ 

‘I do know Lisa loved her family very much, and was fiercely protective of her father and his legacy,’ the performer said as he stood behind an acrylic podium in a long black coat. 

On Monday, Rose described Lisa Marie’s death as unreal as he recalled sending her animal videos to lift her spirits following Benjamin’s suicide at age 27.

‘I will miss my friend Lisa. Her passing, just as her son’s, or as a kid, her father’s, doesn’t seem real,’ he told People. ‘Lisa loved her family, all her children. My heart goes out to them.’

Alanis Morrissette’s moving performance

Alanis Morissette was among multiple performers to take the stage with musical tributes at Lisa Marie Presley’s memorial on Sunday

Held at the Presley family’s Graceland estate on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee, the 48-year-old performed her song Rest 

Following on from this, Alanis Morrissette held her head high as she comforted Lisa Marie’s loved ones with the gift of song.

The Canadian singer-songwriter was cloaked in a long, black coat as she was accompanied by a pianist to perform her song Rest.

Rest was first performed at the memorial for Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, who died of suicide in July 2017. 

Morissette wrote the song ‘for those of us who struggle with depression and anxiety, isolation, suicidal ideation and the profound despair that mental illness can plunge us into,’ Rolling Stone reported.