I watched the interview and I believe there is/was some truth to it despite it being a calculated move to elicit sympathy for them.
Meghan is an actress and she played her part. She threw a bone to the Mommies of the world to gain their favor. She fondled her belly (it was like watching someone masturbate) the entire time. She professed to not care one whit about royal titles, because her most important title is Mawm
(as opposed to gold digger) I do not believe for a minute that Meghan and Harry did not know the questions in advance. They certainly knew the areas of discussion and Oprah lobbed them softballs. However, I am glad I watched it because of what Harry had to say. He grew up in the institution so his remarks held more weight with me. So here's what I deduced from it:
Harry mentioned the symbiotic relationship between the press and the RF. The RF courts the press, invites them to the palace and showers them with perks, presumably to get them on their side, etc. The individuals in the press enjoy the status and the RF hopes they write positive things about them.
The RF has no reason to exist today other than history and tradition. (A caste system has no place in any so-called democracy.) Without positive press, someone may actually do something about them. Prince Andrew appears to be a predator and pedophile. Although some ancillary members of the family work, their money is covered and many are unemployable, in-bred losers who would not make it in the real world. Not that they have to, thanks to private wealth that was stolen from others in a long and shameful history of colonial looting.
See Koh-i-Noor diamond, stolen from a 10 year old.However, if the public turned against them, I suppose the royal system could be dismantled.
So we really have three entities: 1. the Royal family itself, 2. the corporate structure comprised of people with prestigious jobs who execute protocol and manage the business of the Royal family (Meaghan called them "the firm"), and 3. the press.
All three of these organizations need each other and it's believable that each is fighting to position itself favorably and to ensure its own longevity. The firm props up the RF and covers for them. Without the RF, these people would not have jobs. Neither would people in the press who cover the RF.
So:
1. From other stuff I've read and deduced, I found it believable that someone asked how brown Meaghan's baby would be. Prince Charles was so concerned about public appearances and keeping the royal line, that he did not marry the person he loved (at age 37) because Daddy said no. (Say what you want about Diana, but she was an innocent 19 year old who did not deserve that for a husband and she did marry into the family from Hell.) And then there is Daddy aka Prince Phillip. His generation could definitely be hung up on race (as are some of their supporters.) Many royals of his generation were Nazi sympathizers. Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1937 to marry Wallace Simpson, was a known Nazi sympathizer and many royals in other countries were too. So it's completely believable if it came from Phillip. Note: Harry and Meaghan may have decided to bring this up at this time precisely because is probably dying at the moment.
ETA: Harry did not mention who did it, but given other stuff he said, I thought it could be Prince Phillip or Prince Charles
2. I also believe the RF played along and did not correct the press when it was maligning Meaghan when it could have done so. It's typically not their policy to do so, but they have done it to squash things or defend William and Kate. Harry and Meaghan (HM) alleged there were fairly trivial things they could have corrected that would have made HM's life easier but this was not done.
I can see where the RF and the firm benefitted from the Kate good/ Meaghan bad dichotomy because it kept the attention away from other senior members. The press obviously likes it because it generates hits and revenue. And I think like played a factor. I do not think she was liked within the family and she really does not seem very likeable.
Harry has paid a steep price to be with her. He says he's glad he's out and he's not longer "trapped." He is trapped now for sure. Let's hope the poontang is worth it. Supposedly Wallis Simpson made Edward VIII's life miserable after he abdicated for her.
As an aside, I do not like the screaming outrage culture versus the First Amendment. A journalist who criticizes a female public figure is not necessarily a misogynist. Similarly someone who criticizes a person of color is not necessarily a racist. Journalists can be obnoxious and so can public figures. Piers Morgan said that he thinks Meaghan is fake and other things. I don't think he deserves to be fired over his opinion.