Family is really important to the Princess of Wales, and she wanted to be there to support her family.”

Kate Middleton has been reprioritizing her life as she continues to undergo treatment for cancer.

The Princess of Wales, 42, stepped back into the spotlight at Trooping the Colour on June 15, marking her first outing with the royal family since Christmas. However, palace aides emphasized the appearance didn’t mean she was resuming royal duties.

“She has been doing what’s right for her and recovering privately at home. She is dealing with it the best she can,” a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story.

As Princess Kate herself affirmed in a personal message sharing a health update on June 14, “I am learning to be patient.”

The public will need to do the same until the royal receives clearance from her doctors, but the hope is that her healing is well underway.

“The monarchy is going through one of the most difficult sets of challenges,” says Ailsa Anderson, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth. “But it just felt like a corner had been turned
Why Kate Middleton’s Trooping the Colour Outing Doesn’t Signal a Return to Royal Duties amid Cancer Treatment

The Princess of Wales had been outside the public eye for six months — an unprecedented absence for a modern royal — so when her carriage came into view at King Charles’ official birthday parade, all eyes were on the royal mom. Stepping out with her children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, Kate appeared both fragile and resilient as she continues chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis, which she announced to the public in March.On the Buckingham Palace balcony, the Princess of Wales exchanged loving glances with her husband, Prince William, and proudly reveled in her three children as the family of five struck a unified look in their coordinated ensembles. Her deepening bond with her father-in-law the King, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, was evident as they leaned in and chatted.

“She couldn’t have picked a better moment to reappear in public,” says Bedell Smith. “She didn’t seem to stop smiling. She looked so happy to be there. It was spellbinding to watch her.”

Aside from Kate’s personal health update and Trooping the Colour appearance, there have been encouraging signs of improvement. Princess Kate has been spotted running errands and planning activities for the children, including a day at the beach, where she captured in a photo to mark Father’s Day.

The “kiddies,” as Kate calls George, Charlotte and Louis, brought the charm at Trooping the Colour, reminding everyone that they’re a family first.

“There were three generations there,” Bedell Smith says of the royal family’s united front. “It was a perfect way for Kate to reenter the public sphere at this event, which is so full of tradition going back hundreds of years and is a symbol of the continuity of the royal family.” Adds a royal source: “Family is really important to the Princess of Wales, and she wanted to be there to support her family.”