Legalizing gay marriage could force the Queen to break a sovereign promise, a former senior bishop has said.
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, who was Bishop of Rochester for 15 years, said that the Queen took an oath to "uphold God's laws" when she was crowned.
But the Bishop claimed that signing into law a Bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry would force her to break that promise she made upon her Coronation.
Peers will today begin two days of debates on the Government's plans to allow same-sex weddings, with a vote tomorrow.
Bishop Nazir-Ali told the Daily Mail: "The idea of a constitutional monarchy comes from the Bible. Christians are told in the Bible to obey their rulers, unless the ruler tells us to do something God forbids.
"Happily in this country we have a monarchy that has taken an oath of upholding God's laws, and the present Queen has for years been faithful to that. We are praying that she continues to be faithful. But while she is faithful to the vows she has taken, in this country she has to act on the advice of her ministers.
