Historian Graham Phillips has claimed the discovery of the final resting place of King Alfred the Great, the 9th-century Anglo-Saxon monarch, beneath a car park in Winchester, Hampshire. The purported find comes days before England's quarter-final match against Norway in the FIFA World Cup.
Alfred, who ruled from 871 to 899, is renowned for defending his kingdom against Viking forces, notably at the Battle of Edington in 878. His reign is credited with laying the foundations for a unified English nation. Despite his historical significance, the exact location of his burial has been a subject of mystery for centuries, with his remains reportedly moved multiple times after his death in 899.
Phillips, who has been researching Alfred's resting place for 13 years, stated his 100% confidence in the car park site. He suggested the discovery could be an auspicious sign for England's upcoming World Cup match. "We may have finally found Alfred's remains so is this a sign we can win the World Cup?" Phillips remarked to The Sun.
This alleged discovery echoes the 2012 finding of King Richard III's remains, which were also located beneath a car park in Leicester. Alfred, born in 849, was recognized as a leader, warrior, strategist, scholar, and administrator. His victory at Edington helped secure Wessex and led to the Viking leader Guthrum's conversion to Christianity.
Following Alfred's death, his remains were initially interred in Winchester Cathedral. By 1110, they were relocated to Winchester's Hyde Abbey, placed before the high altar alongside his wife and son. The abbey fell into ruin after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. An excavation in 1866 by antiquarian John Mellor at the former abbey site unearthed what were believed to be Alfred's bones, but this was later disproven. Phillips posits that Alfred's remains may have been moved again when a prison was constructed in the area in 1788.
The specific location of the claimed discovery is expected to be detailed in an upcoming episode of the television program "Weird Britain" on Blaze TV.
