Meghan Markle ‘Constantly Trying to Compete’ With Prince William and Princess Kate: ‘It Needs to Stop’ (Exclusive)

Princess Kate has been doing all she can to broker peace between Prince William and Prince Harry, reveals a source, but any time she makes a bit of progress, it seems like Meghan Markle does something to set her husband, 43, off.

“Meghan’s clearly doing all she can to copy the royal playbook and at the same she’s never done a thing but attack the institution,” the source notes. “Of course that’s going to inflame the situation.”

As In Touch previously reported, the royal family allegedly hasn’t been happy with Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, embarking on quasi-royal tours of Colombia and Jordan — and they likely weren’t thrilled to hear about the couple’s upcoming trip to Australia.

“What really bothers William, and Kate too for that matter, is the way Meghan is constantly trying to compete with them and overshadow what the rest of the family are doing,” says the source. “In [Kate’s] view it needs to stop and she’s decided to take the bull by the horns and address this with Harry directly.”

Kate, 44, and Harry used to be incredibly close. She was the “big sister he never had,” per Newsweek.

But the Princess of Wales reportedly didn’t like Meghan from the start

“She’s still convinced he’s being pushed along by Meghan’s ambitions,” says In Touch’s source. “She doesn’t believe for one second he’s come up with these photo op tours, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to face the fall out equally.”

Adds the source, “In her view, it’s time he finds the courage to put his foot down and stop this charade.”