The kings in a pack of cards represent legendary real-life monarchs. Much like the famous historical kings who enjoyed absolute power over their subjects, a hardcore card-player would tell you that the king in a game of cards is also one of the highest-scoring cards.
Only the ace of any of the four suits is worth more points than the king of any suit. Rouen (a city in France) was a major card-producing centre in the sixteenth century. The cards made in Rouen were traditionally named David, Charles (or Charlemagne), Caesar and Alexander, which represented the kings of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs respectively.
The Parisian design used the same names as its Rouennais counterpart. These names are used even now to name the kings in a pack of cards, and are widely considered to have originated in Paris, which is incorrect. These names were originally used in the Rouennais tradition.
Only the ace of any of the four suits is worth more points than the king of any suit. Rouen (a city in France) was a major card-producing centre in the sixteenth century. The cards made in Rouen were traditionally named David, Charles (or Charlemagne), Caesar and Alexander, which represented the kings of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs respectively.
The Parisian design used the same names as its Rouennais counterpart. These names are used even now to name the kings in a pack of cards, and are widely considered to have originated in Paris, which is incorrect. These names were originally used in the Rouennais tradition.
