Edward of Caernarfon came to the throne as King Edward II upon the death of his father on 7 July 1307. At the time of his accession he was twenty-three years old, and he would reign for twenty years until his deposition in January 1327. In recent years a great deal has been written about the reign in general and Edward's kingship in particular. Much of this recent work has focused on prominent individuals, and questions of character and personality have been of great importance in shaping our understanding of the reign. Interestingly, however, very little has been written about the lengthier portion of Edward's life, prior to his accession. What little that has been written on the early life of Edward II has followed in large part the impressions laid down by Hilda Johnstone. It is now more than half a century since Johnstone wrote her study Edward of Carnarvon 1284–1307, yet this slim volume, supplemented by the introduction to Johnstone's earlier edition of the Letters of Edward, prince of Wales, 1304–1305, has continued to shape our picture of a diffident, disinterested prince who grew inevitably into an incompetent and unacceptable king. In this paper I wish to return to the letters of Edward of Caernarfon preserved for 1304–5, and in the process to challenge Johnstone's portrayal of an increasingly dissolute prince.