The foreign ministry has demanded an explanation from the Swiss ambassador to Germany, Thomas Borer, about why his wife posed as a "cowgirl of the Alps" for a German magazine.

A spokesman said the foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, wanted to know the exact circumstances surrounding the story, and would then decide how the Swiss government should react.

The foreign ministry's comments come after photographs of Borer's wife, Shawne Fielding, appeared in the German magazine "Max".

The images show Fielding - a former "Miss Texas" - in a red costume on the roof of the Swiss embassy in Berlin. Nearby the Swiss flag is clearly visible. In other images, the 31-year-old Fielding is seen posing as "Cinderella" in the lobby of the embassy.

In an interview with "Max", Fielding described the pictures as "very artistic and in no way indecent".

She denied there was a conflict of interest with her husband's position as Swiss ambassador. "I am not paid by the Swiss government. I am merely the wife of the ambassador and I have my own life."

Photographs of Borer and Fielding frequently appear in the German press. Last December, Borer was hauled before Deiss after he made derogatory remarks on television about a rock star, who had been photographed with his wife.

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