It seems like it's straightforward to retain power and wealth once your family is already accepted as royalty or aristocracy, but how did Europe's royal families get there in the first place?

Was it petty fiefdoms that eventually coalesced after power struggles? How long did it take for e.g. the Hapsburgs and the Bourbons to cement their powerbase?

What was the process for being accepted and regarded as a 'king' and not some local warlord?