The Princess of Wales’s “life in remission” is one of this week’s People Magazine cover stories. I just saw that there’s another cover with Michael Strahan. I kind of love when People Mag does multiple covers, almost like an admission that one of those cover stories probably won’t get much attention from American readers. I don’t know though – are People’s readers more interested in Kate’s keenery or Michael Strahan’s daughter and her brain cancer? One of the biggest problems with Kate’s whole PR situation these days is that they’re trying to convince people to believe too many questionable things all at once. This isn’t “one big lie,” it’s a series of smaller lies, exaggerations, nonsensical cover stories and possibly-true-but-definitely-incomplete stories. Speaking of, here’s a new excerpt from People’s keen cover story, all about how William and Kate are closer than ever and they communicate better than before.

Throughout Kate Middleton’s tumultuous year, Prince William has remained steadfastly by her side, maintaining a sense of stability as she navigated cancer. A source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story that the Prince and Princess of Wales are “more open” now and “talk about their relationship together.” The difficult period has brought a newfound depth to their relationship, revealing an unprecedented level of openness in their expressions of love for each other.

“For the princess, family — her husband and­ children — are more important than anything else,” a close royal insider tells PEOPLE.

Of their public displays of affection, royal biographer Ingrid Seward tells PEOPLE, “William must feel so fortunate that Kate has come through this that he wants to tell the world about that love. It shows the intimacy of them sharing that journey together. They are able to express themselves in a way they would never have done before,” Seward says.

William and Kate have shown a greater sense of intimacy over the past year, and royal historian and writer Dr. Amanda Foreman says their bond is strong.

“They feel they are very lucky to be married to each other. Their marriage is strong, and they are being honest about it,” says Foreman.

Away from the spotlight, Princess Kate has also been focused on her children, attending their school sports and activities. Over the holidays, the family enjoyed a ski getaway in the Alps with members of the Middleton family. As she gradually resumes her royal duties, Kate is expected to participate in some U.K.-based engagements. However, she will not be joining William on overseas tours in the immediate future. The palace has yet to confirm whether the Princess of Wales will attend the BAFTA Awards in February, an event she traditionally attends with Prince William (who is president).

[From People]

Yeah, I’m sure some people are buying it, but I do feel like it’s been common knowledge that the Wales marriage has been in a Struggle Era for years. Even casual gossips know something’s up, that there have been strains and weird vibes for a while. That sense that something was “off” came to the forefront last year, when Kate went missing. All of the attention turned to William, his wandering sceptre and Rose Hanbury. Many of the conspiracies back then revolved around the real state of their marriage too. Anyway, as I said, they’re all doing too much to convince people of too many things all at once. One lie at a time, you know?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace.