What's been cut?

I'm being ruthless as I go through "Come, Now" for submission and thought I'd share a snippet of what's been cut.

May 1896 – Petrovsky Palace, Moscow, Russia

In two hours he’d be sitting in a fabulously ornate carriage, with his beautiful wife, Alexandra Fedornova, sitting at his side. They’d be driving toward the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Kremlin where he would be crowned Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias. Their people would be pleased to see him officially don the crown.

How stupid, he thought, here he stood a few hours before the grand procession would take him to the Assumption Cathedral for his coronation, waiting to ask a man he’d never met or heard of, for his support.

When asked, Witte, his advisor, had been able to fill him in on the Ivanovich family. Without question or needing to do research which had surprised him because he believed he already knew everyone who was important in Russia. Apparently they were an old, extremely successful family based up in Novgorod. The people of the area respected the entire clan and never questioned when their word was given.
A set of footsteps echoed down the hallway toward him. Not sure how this meeting was to be conducted he decided the best route would be to ensure this man knew he, Nicholas II, was the person in charge not some man from the wild northern territories.

Just a snippet of what's out but there's also a hint in there of what's to come :-)