The demand has the support of John Bercow, the Speaker, putting him in opposition to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, who is being kept informed of the row by parliamentary officials.

The Archbishop, who warned last week that allowing gay couples to marry would damage the fabric of society, is said to understand the "potential for the issue to develop and escalate".

The Telegraph has obtained correspondence which shows that the Queen's private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt, is also being consulted over the possibility of permitting same-sex marriages in St Mary Undercroft, the Anglican chapel in the Palace of Westminster.

Such a move would be highly controversial because the Church of England will be exempt from the new gay marriage legislation, with such weddings not permitted on its properties.

Allowing them to take place in the chapel would require its ties to the Church to be cut, but because the chapel is under the direct authority of the Queen, the issue now involves Buckingham Palace.

It could also mean legislation being brought by Parliament or by General Synod, the Church's governing body, to cut the chapel's ties with the Church of England.

The disclosure, in emails to and from Lt Gen David Leakey, who as Black Rod is the most senior official in the Lords, highlights the seriousness with which proposals by MPs to alter the status of the chapel are being treated.

To avoid the moratorium on gay weddings on Church premises, Chris Bryant, a Labour MP and former Anglican vicar, suggested it should be converted into a multi-faith area, allowing ministers from denominations which have indicated they will perform the ceremonies - such as Quakers - to marry gay couples in Parliament.

In a debate on the Bill in March, Helen Grant, the equalities minister, pointed out that the chapel is a "royal peculiar", meaning that it comes under the direct authority of the Queen, as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Mr Bryant asked the minister if she could write to the Queen asking if St Mary Undercroft could be used as "a space for multi-faith purposes" so that it could be used as a venue for gay marriages. Mrs Grant said she would consider what the Government could do "that might assist".

Separately Mr Bryant wrote to Mr Bercow asking him to use his "good offices" to help lift the restrictions on the chapel so gay weddings could be held there.

He modified his request to ask for it to become "multi-denominational" rather than "multi-faith".

In a response on March 12, published for the first time today, Mr Bercow said he was "seeking advice and will respond in due course". In a note he added: "In principle, as you can imagine, I am very sympathetic to your position."

Mr Bryant's letter was passed to Lt Gen Leakey, who is the official in Parliament responsible for the chapel.

Emails obtained by The Telegraph show that in the last three months he has corresponded with figures in Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the Church, including Sir Christopher, Dr John Hall, the Dean of Westminster, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Commons chaplain, who opposes the move, and Sir Robert Rogers, the clerk of the Commons.

Black Rod is understood to oppose Mr Bryant's proposals. He warned in one email of a "continuous campaign" to allow gay marriages in the chapel.

Two emails were exchanged between Lt Gen Leakey and Sir Christopher. They have been removed from the correspondence handed to The Telegraph because any communications with the Royal household are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. The exchange appears to have included a discussion about putting the issue to a vote in the Commons.

In an email dated April 14, Sir Robert, who was forwarded the exchange, suggested Mr Bercow should be removed from any such process.

He said: "This is just to say that, should my advice be sought about 'commanding the support of the House' (the eighth paragraph of your email to Christopher Geidt) I will suggest that the Speaker's position is best protected by suggesting that the back-bench business committee is invited by the proponents (or indeed opponents) to put down a Motion so that the will of the House may be formally determined."

Lawyers for the Church of England said that the correct way to describe St Mary Undercroft is as a Royal chapel situated within the Royal peculiar of Westminster Abbey.

They say the only "legally secure way" of changing its status would be to introduce legislation either originating in the General Synod or in the Commons, with the Church's permission.

A briefing note also points out that two rooms in the Palace of Westminster have been approved as venues for civil weddings.

Meanwhile, a letter to Lt Gen Leakey from Gary Streeter, a Tory MP who chairs the Christians in Parliament group, said there would be "substantial opposition" to turning the chapel into a multi-faith space.

St Mary Undercroft is a popular marriage venue for MPs. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, and Charles Kennedy, the former Liberal Democrat leader, are among those who have wed there.

A spokesman for the Queen said Buckingham Palace officials were being kept updated on the discussions but "only for our information".

"Fundamentally this is a matter for Parliament and the Government," he added.

END