 Bergsträsser was persuaded to drop his demand for a delay in publishing, and modify his copyright claims in return for a lump sum of money. However, the Queen and Helena refused, claiming that the copyright actually belonged to the Queen, and that only Sell's original preface was open to negotiation. The royal ladies considered Bergsträsser's claims "unjustified if not impertinent", and would not communicate with him directly. Eventually, Bergsträsser came to Britain in January 1884, willing to accept £ 100 for the first 3000 copies and a further £ 40 for each subsequent thousand copies sold. Martin chose the publisher John Murray, who after further negotiations with Bergsträsser, printed the first copies in mid-1884. It sold out almost immediately; but for the second edition, Murray replaced Sell's biographical sketch of Princess Alice with the 53-page memoir written by Helena. The problem of royalties to Sell was thus avoided, and the fact that Helena gave her name to the memoir to her sister attracted greater interest in the book.
