The Earl of Doncaster was a nobleman, noted for his flamboyant and stereotypically gay personality. According to prince Edmund, the Earl had been riding Sidesaddle, since he was 17. When Prince Edmund found himself engaged to the horrific Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain, Baldrick suggested that he could get out of it by convincing her that he prefers the "intimate company of men", just like the Earl of Doncaster.