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A TALE OF A PRINCE, THE KING, AND THE MASTER
Page Three
Likewise, there are some
indications of Wallis in Elvis:
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Both shared a love of glitz and
glitter which resulted in some truly atrocious dress and jewelry; Wallis’
wedding trousseau included seventy dresses of a "vulgar design with
patterns of lobsters and butterflies on white or silver backgrounds."
Elvis' dress, while never sedate, was its most flamboyant in his youth —
"pink shirts matched with green pants and a striped jacket; plaids and
polka dots freely mixed." Unlike Wallis, Elvis knew not everyone
shared his taste and once remarked, "At least it’ll be easy to spot me
if I ever get run over."
Both attracted rather unsavory
hangers-on. Elvis was attended by the "Memphis Mafia" and
frequently had to pay off individuals who suffered through encounters with
these "bodyguards". In Wallis’ case, the most bizarre follower
was Jimmy Donahue, characterized by one of the Duke’s more charitable
biographers as an "epicene gigolo" with an "insatiable
appetite for night clubs and other species of nocturnal revelry."
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Finally, the Master and the King share
immortality. While there has been much scoffing over the idea that Elvis
still lives, any true Sherlockian will feel comfortable with the concept.
And, of course, there is a Biblical precedent for an immortal Father
begetting an immortal Son. In fact, I like to think that the Master took pity
on the sad figure his son had become and spirited him away from the clutches
of Colonel Parker to restore him to health and serenity on the Sussex Downs.
So let me ask you to raise your glasses in a birthday toast to the
Master and his second son — Elvis Aaron Presley!
— Susan Z. Diamond
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