Kind of what it says on the tin. If you lived in one of these countries would you really know/care who your king was? how prevalent were governments in these peoples lives? Was there a huge disparity in these things in cities vs in the countryside?
I think much would depend on where and when you lived: kings tended to grow in power and importance from the 5th century to the 15th, eventually eclipsing and sometimes supplanting the regional dukes or counts who had ruled large areas of Europe in their stead and nominally on their behalf.
England is likely to have been ahead of the curve, with powerful local lords but a strong monarchy by the 11th century: one clue is in the instructions to Domesday commissioners who were to ask jurors about conditions not only now but "in the time of King Edward" 20 or more years earlier, suggesting familiarity with not just the present ruler but a predecessor.
Cities I think would tend to feel more directly connected with royal administration from an early date: many owed their importance to royal charters and privileges and were centres of administration as well as trade which brought regular interaction with the wider realm.
In the countryside, taxation and the administration of justice would have been the principal point of contact with government, but much would depend on how much was conducted through royal or ducal authorities and how much by local or private ones. Any further light on this would be welcome.