WILLIAM CRAWLS INTO A BOTTLE

Hitting sauce hard & ignoring Kate's pleas to stop as he fumes over Harry

FRAZZLED Prince William is hiding a shocking secret behind his megawatt smile and boyish charm — his bitter battle with royal renegades Prince Harry and Meghan has driven him to drink, stunned palace insiders say.

And the future king’s boozing has put him on a collision course with his wife, Princess Kate, amid fears a growing dependence on alcohol could lead to a full-blown crisis for both the monarchy and their 12-year marriage, high ranking members of the royal inner circle tell GLOBE.

“William is hitting the bottle — hard — to drown his sorrows and his rage over what he sees as a betrayal by his brother, Harry,” confides a well-placed courtier. “It’s not just beer. He’s knocking back the powerful stuff like Kamikaze cocktails on a nightly basis. He admits the drink is ‘silent but deadly’ — and likes it that way!”

Shockingly, the source reveals the 41-year-old heir to the throne has even made public appearances while suffering from bad hangovers — but he’s well practiced enough to effectively cover it up.