Joanna Elisabeth was born to Christian August, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1673–1726), Prince of Eutin and Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, and his wife, Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach (1682–1755), who belonged to a minor branch of the influential House of (Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp).

[1] Joanna was thus brought up in one of the most luxurious courts of Northern Germany,[1] together with the three daughters of Elisabeth Sophie Marie's husband, Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1662–1731).

After the wedding, the couple lived in the small city of Stettin, Pomerania (later known as Szczecin, Poland), where the husband's regiment was stationed.

[1] The soldier husband was a sober and simple man, used to giving orders and not talking much, while his young wife loved socializing.

In addition, Christian August could only afford a small townhouse on his military pay while Joanna was used to the luxury of the ducal court of Brünswick.

She often visited Brünswick, her childhood home, and every February during the carnival season she paid her respects to the King of Prussia.

[6] In January 1742, Empress Elizabeth brought Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and only child of her late beloved sister Anna Petrovna, to Saint Petersburg.

This enabled Elizabeth to appoint as the new heir to the Swedish throne, Peter Ulrich's guardian, Adolf Frederick, Joanna's older brother, which elevated her in rank.

[6] In November 1742, Christian August inherited the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst with his brother, John Louis, and the family moved to Zerbst.

[10] On 16 January, after the family and their company left Berlin, Christian August said goodbye and returned to Zerbst, as the Empress had asked him not to go to Russia.

[13] While in Russia, Joanna was working on the mission she had received from the King of Prussia, trying to undermine Vice Chancellor Bestuzhev.

Although Joanna departed with many presents from the Empress, in Riga, she was directed to take a message to the King of Prussia, asking him to call back the ambassador who had been caught in the conspiracy against Bestuzhev.

[16] After Joanna's husband, Christian August, died on 16 March 1747, their son Frederick Augustus succeeded him as Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst.

[17] She had a new palace built by Friedrich Joachim Stengel in Dornburg to have a more suitable place for hosting her brother, King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, and her daughter, the Grand Duchess, but neither of them ever visited.

In 1758, when Prussia invaded Anhalt-Zerbst during the Seven Years' War, the Dowager Princess and her son Frederick Augustus were forced into exile in Paris.