And just two months after sharing the completion of her own chemotherapy treatment, Kate, who stepped back from the public eye amid her health battle, eased her way back into public engagements by showing her support for their Armed Forces and veterans at the Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall in November, alongside Charles.

As for William—with whom Kate shares Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6—he couldn’t help but gush over his wife’s resilience and strength during these difficult times.

“I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” he told reporters Nov. 7, per the BBC. “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

As the royals prepare for their holiday celebrations, keep reading for more royal news from around the world.

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)