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The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that a Taser stun gun has been used on a manoutside Buckingham Palace.
A spokesman said the incident happened outside the grounds of the palace just before midday. The man was arrested.
Mobile phone footage uploaded to YouTube shows mounted officers directing onlookers to move away from the incident before blasting the man with the stun gun.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are currently at Sandringham, and attended church in in nearby West Newton this morning.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said they would not comment as it was a police matter.
According to the claims of some observers on Twitter, the Changing of the Guard ceremony was interrupted by a man 'carrying one or more knives'.
A scene was cordoned off with police tape 30 metres from the palace gates and an ambulance was parked to the side of the building.
Inside the cordoned-off area lay two knives with six-inch blades and a pair of Nike high top trainers.
In other snaps taken by onlooker @LondonPRGuru, remnants of what appears to be the Taser's insulated wire as well as shoes - said to be those worn by the man before he was shocked - can be seen strewn behind police lines.
Four plastic tubes of two different sizes, three large ones and a small one were also spotted, said to be police property used for removing "sharps".
A hat and a black carrier bag containing paper material with a handkerchief beside it also lay on the ground.
Police at the scene were telling members of the public that a man "tried to make an exhibition of himself during the guard change" and that there were "mental health issues".
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A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "It was approximately 11.50. A man was seen outside the centre gate in possession of two knives.
"He was not making threats to members of the public but he was challenged by police.
"He acted aggressively and a taser was discharged.
"He isr and St Paul church in thought to be in his fifties. He was arrested on suspicion of affray and has been taken to a central London police station."
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Eyewitness Kevin Burrows, 33, from Surrey, said the man broke through a cordon as the changing of the guard was about to happen.
The kitchen porter said: "I thought 'Oh my God, I can't believe it'. There must have been about 15 police officers on foot who surrounded him once he'd been Tasered.
"The police saw him really quickly and were obviously cautious. He was in his 40s I'd say and I think he had knives in both hands.
"Everybody was standing back when it happened and people were actually quite calm, I think everyone was surprised.
"They had to divert the procession away from him. I think he was making his way to the guards."
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