Queen Elizabeth Learned This Important Life Lesson from Her Mother at an Early Age

Queen Elizabeth isn't dwelling on the negative despite this being an increasingly "tumultuous time" in her life.

The 95-year-old monarch is dealing with health issues (from limited mobility to her recent COVID-19 diagnosis) as well as family scandals (including Prince Andrew's settlement with his sexual assault accuser and an investigation into Prince Charles' charity following cash-for-honors allegation). However, she's turning to something she learned from her mom, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

"One of the lessons that she learned very early from her own mother was to focus on the positive," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story. " 'You see something bad, you see something good.' And the Queen has always been very good at that."

That resilience showed during the Queen's first outing of the year on Feb. 5, the eve of her Accession Day, when she hosted a reception at Sandringham House.

"Her sense of humor was there, and we had a good chat," says Yvonne Browne, vice president and chair of the Sandringham Women's Institute. "It is a bittersweet weekend for her, but she certainly wasn't down. She was in sparkling form."

The Queen remains focused on celebrating her Platinum Jubilee year (marking 70 years on the throne) with a long weekend of events in June.

"Her main concern will be to get back to be in fighting form to start the Jubilee celebrations," a royal insider tells PEOPLE. "She's of the generation where you 'suck it up.' It is duty first."

Adds Bedell Smith: "She's very, very good at dealing with what life throws at her. She understands that she needs to project that positive image more than ever and go about her business."

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Still, the recent stress is "going to take a toll," the royal insider says. "It's a drip-feed of negativity for the monarchy. I've not known such a tumultuous time as this."