“Charles and Camilla can marry twice; gays can’t marry once,” said Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights group OutRage!

He and six OutRage! colleagues were protesting against the ban on same-sex marriage outside Windsor Guildhall today, as Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were married.

Mr Tatchell and two other members of OutRage! were temporarily detained by the police under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.

“Charles and Camilla had to battle legal obstacles to get married,” said Mr Tatchell.

“We want gay couples to have the right to marry too. The government ban on same-sex marriage is discrimination and is illegal under the Human Rights Act.

“Lord Falconer justified the Charles and Camilla wedding on the grounds that the Human Rights Act says everyone is entitled to marry. Why, then, is his government refusing to allow same-sex couples to get married?”

Another OutRage! activist at the protest, who was also detained under the Terrorism Act, Brett Lock, added:

“If the government and the Church can engineer the law to allow Charles and Camilla to marry, why can’t they amend the law to legalise marriage for lesbians and gays?

“The new same-sex civil partnerships law is not legal equality. It enshrines and perpetuates homophobic discrimination. We want marriage law opened up to gay couples.

“The vast majority of the crowds at Windsor backed our call for an end to ban on same-sex marriage. We received a lot of public support. Only a handful of die-hard monarchists objected to our protest.

“After full body and bag searches, the police attempted to move us away from the Guildhall area. We refused to move, citing our right to protest under the Human Rights Act. Eventually the police relented and were allowed to continue our protest, shadowed by a phalanx of police officers.

“Charles and Camilla are obviously very much in love. We wish them a happy married life together. We want gay couples to have the same right to marry. Is equal marriage rights for every couple in love too much to expect?”