THE secrecy surrounding the opening of King Alfred's possible last resting place contrasts with the discovery of the bones of Richard III.

Archaeologists very publicly delving under the surface of a council car park in Leicester were not confident of finding the royal bones. Richard was the last English monarch to be killed in battle at Bosworth in 1485, when Henry Tudor wrested the throne and ended the Wars of the Roses.

Researchers were stunned to find the bones with a deformed back, sparking off intensive scientific research that through DNA analysis of a living descendant proved the bones were Richard's. It was publicly announced amid international media attention last month.

In Winchester the situation is different. We know where the bones are but analysing them will be far harder as Alfred is some 600 years older.

Scientists will be eager to analyse the remains. They could work with German scientists who have analysed the skeleton of Alfred's granddaughter in Magdeburg. Work is also set to take place on studying the contents of the mortuary chests in Winchester Cathedral where later Saxon kings are held.

The 'Alfred' grave was built in 1867 and the bones interred after an archaeological dig and no-one knows if the bones inside are royal or perhaps those of a Benedictine monk from the Middle Ages.

Alfred was initially buried under Hyde Abbey but dug up in 1788. The excavation in 1867 claimed to have found his bones which were then reinterred by the east window of the church.

Rev Cliff Bannister said the research idea was sparked by the Hyde 900 celebrations in 2010 which marked the 900th anniversary of the reburial of Alfred at Hyde Abbey.

He is the only English monarch to be called 'Great'. Alfred founded the navy, the shire system of local government, pioneered education, translated foreign books into English and reformed law. He also burned the cakes and defeated the Danes.