Kate Middleton and Prince William have stood strong as they faced a series of challenges.

Recent years have seen the Prince and Princess of Wales navigate turbulence stemming from the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the COVID pandemic and the deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth.

2024 brought another devastating blow: the cancer diagnoses of both Kate, 43, and King Charles, 76. The Princess of Wales spent much of the year out of the public eye amid her treatment, but through it all, William, 42, has remained by his wife’s side as a steady source of strength.

Royal historian Amanda Foreman exclusively tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story, “There is a sense of protectiveness and partnership. The last five years have been a nightmare for them in every possible way — the past year even more so. That either crushes a marriage, or it brings them together.”

“And just in time, frankly — if there was ever a time when the country required stability, this is it,” she adds. “The international stage is so unstable, it is rather extraordinary to see how both have risen to the occasion.”

Kate Middleton and Prince William on Commonwealth Day on March 10, 2025.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

The couple’s former private secretary Jason Knauf said in a rare interview with 60 Minutes Australia, “If you’re Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer,” adding that it was the “lowest” he’s ever seen William.

The Prince of Wales reflected on that difficult time while speaking to reporters in Cape Town during his Earthshot Prize visit in Nov. 2024.

“Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he said. “I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton with their children at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024.

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Princess Kate recently returned to her royal duties after announcing in January that she was in remission. Prince William and Princess Kate have remained tight-lipped about their estranged relationship with Harry and have not commented on Meghan’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which was confirmed for a second season.

As insiders have emphasized, their focus remains firmly on their own well-being and their children,  Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

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Prince William, Prince Louis, Prince George, Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte at Christmas church on Dec. 25, 2024.

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One year after Princess Kate shared her cancer diagnosis with the world, royal biographer Robert Hardman tells PEOPLE, “There is definitely a feeling of resetting the dial — of being back.”

Adds Ailsa Anderson, a former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth: “Fast-forward, and what a difference a year makes. She’s even more beloved in the nation’s hearts than she was.”