A Swindon celebrity who was Michael Jackson's bodyguard has paid tribute to the late Lisa Marie Presley.

It was announced on January 12 that the US singer, who was the only child of Elvis Presley, had died aged 54, hours after being taken to hospital.

She was described as a "precious jewel” during a public memorial service which was held at her father’s Graceland mansion, attended by family, friends and fans of the late singer

Matt Fiddes, who was Michael Jackson's personal bodyguard for more than a decade, and now runs a number of local Matt Fiddes Martial Arts schools.

Having known Presley and Jackson when they were married, he has paid his own tribute to Lisa Marie Presley, with a post on his Facebook page. 

"Sad to hear Lisa Marie Presley will be laid to rest today at Graceland. She was always very friendly to me and even though an ex-wife to my late friend Michael Jackson she was always at the end of the phone for Michael. And tried to see him whenever possible," he said. 

In 1993, 20 days after her first divorce to musician Danny Keogh, the singer secretly wed Michael Jackson with the couple divorcing three years later in 1996.

Fiddes would go on to defend the marriage and Lisa's devotion to Michael. 

"Despite the nonsense out there, the marriage was very much a real marriage that she had to defend throughout her life. The pressures of both their fame made it difficult for their marriage.

"Right to the end of Michaels's life, she was always there for him. Even at his funeral, she was the last to leave.

"The ironic thing is Lisa was concerned her ex-husband Michael Jackson would end up dying young in a similar way to her father Elvis. And she did everything she could to prevent this from happening.

Swindon Advertiser: Matt with Michael JacksonMatt with Michael Jackson (Image: Matt Fiddes)

"Something she never got over being reminded of daily was the story of her late father. Finding him dead at Graceland at 9yrs old."

"Her predictions were exactly what happened to Michael leaving us at 50 years young in 2009. And now Lisa has gone at just 54 years young.

"Lisa Marie had to deal with a lot of trauma in her life. Losing her son Ben to suicide 2 years ago I think was the final sad end to her story."

Lisa Marie was buried at Graceland next to her son, Benjamin Keough, who died in 2020.