João was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France to Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará and Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz. His father had been a member of the Brazilian Imperial Family but had joined his mother Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil in exile after the abolition of the monarchy. When João was 19, he emigrated to Brazil.
Despite being born in France, João later on moved to the US