Monaco–United States relations the First World War. From 1956 until her death in 1982, the American-born Grace Kelly was married to Prince Rainier III. They made their first official visit to the United States in 1956. Until 2006 Monaco's only career Consul-General (Maguy Maccario Doyle in 2006) operated out of New York, but directed all the Honorary Consuls in placements worldwide. In December 2006, the United States and Monaco upgraded from consular to full diplomatic relations. Shortly thereafter, Craig Stapleton (ambassador to France) was accredited to Monaco, and ambassador Gilles Noghes became the first Monegasque ambassador to the United States. In 2009 Stapleton
Albert II, Prince of Monaco his father and died without lawful heirs, it would have triggered Article 3 of the 1918 Franco-Monegasque Treaty, according to which the Principality of Monaco would become a protectorate of the French Republic. Prior to 2002, Monaco's constitution stipulated that only the last reigning prince's "direct and legitimate" descendants could inherit the crown. On 2 April 2002, Monaco promulgated Princely Law 1.249, which provides that if a reigning prince dies without surviving legitimate issue, the throne passes to his legitimate siblings and their legitimate descendants of both sexes, according to the principle of male-preference primogeniture. Following Albert's accession, this law