A tomb designed by the Richard III Society does not meet Leicester Cathedral's criteria for a lasting memorial, members of the group said yesterday.
The University of Leicester, which holds the exhumation certificate for the king, nominated the cathedral as the place of interment following the discovery of his body underneath a city car park in August.
Philippa Langley, who launched the search, had hoped the society's design for a 7ft limestone casket would hold the former King of England's remains.
However, it is understood memorial designers will be asked to create a less conspicuous monument, such as a slab or tablet – similar to the cathedral's existing memorial stone to the monarch.
A spokeswoman for the cathedral said the architect's brief for how the memorial should look would be revealed tomorrow, and "no firm plans" were in place yet.
However, Philippa said she was given a copy of the brief in advance and the guidelines rule out the society's £30,000 sarcophagus – which designers had been working on since 2010.
Funds for the tomb have already been raised and more cash is available for building work and installation.
"I'm a shocked and deeply saddened," Philippa said. "We've had money absolutely pouring in, the tomb is all paid for.
"It can all be given back, but it would be such a shame."
David Potter, committee member for the Leicestershire branch of the Richard III Society, said: "We've not had a chance to consider any other designs.
"It seemed the tomb had been very well received.
"I think now it would be interesting to see whether the readers would prefer a tomb or a slab."
The body will be reinterred at some time in the first half of next year, but a date has not yet been set.
All memorial proposals will be submitted to the Cathedrals Fabrics Commission for England, a national body which oversees work and offers advice on matters relating to architecture, archaeology, art and history of cathedrals.
The Leicester Cathedral spokeswoman said: "The ideas presented by the Richard III Society have been included in the architect's brief, and will be considered within the context of the need for a scheme which will work within the cathedral.
"There are no firm plans yet for any particular memorial."
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