“We’ll Be Together”: The Heartbreaking Final Chapter of Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret’s Love Story

In the golden haze of 1960s Hollywood, few romances burned brighter—or more briefly—than that of Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. Their chemistry, first captured on-screen in the 1964 musical Viva Las Vegas, became the stuff of legend. Behind the film’s joyful dance numbers and flirtatious duets was a deeply emotional relationship that would haunt them both for decades.

Now, decades later, stories continue to circulate about their final phone call and a 10-carat diamond ring—symbols of love, secrecy, and heartbreak. While some details belong more to the realm of romantic folklore than fact, the truth at the center of their story remains deeply poignant: two people who loved each other intensely, but whose lives were steered by forces far beyond their control.

🎬 A Love Born in Hollywood

When Elvis Presley met Ann-Margret on the set of Viva Las Vegas in 1963, sparks flew instantly. Both were at the height of their careers—he, the world’s most famous musician; she, Hollywood’s rising star known for her fierce independence and magnetism.

Their connection went beyond physical attraction. They shared a passion for music, motorcycles, and mischief. Ann-Margret once said they were “mirror images,” both driven and deeply emotional. On set, they were inseparable, rehearsing late into the night, laughing between takes, and communicating with an unspoken understanding that left everyone around them captivated.

It was, in Ann-Margret’s own words, “a very strong and very real relationship.”

💔 The Final Call: “We’ll Be Together”

By late 1964, their romance faced a devastating crossroads. Elvis had made a promise years earlier to Priscilla Beaulieu, the young woman he had been dating since his time in the Army. His manager, Colonel Tom Parker, insisted that maintaining this commitment was crucial for Elvis’s public image and stability.

According to Ann-Margret’s later reflections, the end came with a phone call. Elvis told her he was under immense pressure and had to “do what’s expected.” It was an emotional farewell—filled with love, regret, and the haunting promise, “We’ll be together.”

That moment marked the end of their romantic future, but not the end of their connection. Ann-Margret was heartbroken, yet she accepted his decision with grace.

💐 A Symbolic Goodbye: Gifts and Memory

The story of Elvis sending Ann-Margret a 10-carat diamond ring to “keep their secret” has endured for decades, though biographers suggest it’s more myth than reality.

What is true, however, is that Elvis continued to send her tokens of affection long after their breakup—most notably, a heart-shaped floral arrangement each time she opened a show in Las Vegas. It became a silent tradition between them, a gesture that spoke volumes even when words could not.

“It was his way of saying, ‘I remember,’” one close friend of Ann-Margret later recalled.

Their bond remained private but unbroken. When Elvis died in 1977, Ann-Margret was the only Hollywood star invited to his funeral, a testament to the enduring respect and affection between them.

💍 Moving Forward, Holding On

Shortly after her heartbreak, Ann-Margret found stability and lasting love with actor and director Roger Smith, whom she married in 1967. Smith became her lifelong partner, and the two remained devoted to each other until his passing in 2017.

Still, Ann-Margret has never spoken of Elvis with anything but warmth and reverence. In her memoir, she described him as “sensitive, caring, and full of life,” while acknowledging that their love belonged to a fleeting but beautiful moment in time.

🎵 A Love That Lingers

The legend of Elvis and Ann-Margret endures not because of scandal or tragedy, but because of sincerity. Theirs was a love story born of mutual admiration, creativity, and shared vulnerability—cut short by fame’s heavy demands.

Whether or not a diamond ring ever existed, the truer symbols of their connection were intangible: a song, a phone call, a promise, and a lifetime of quiet remembrance.

In the end, perhaps it was Elvis’s words that captured their story best:

“We’ll be together.”

They never were again in life—but in memory, in music, and in the hearts of those who witnessed their spark, they always will be.