His childless uncle, Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza, is one of the two current claimants to the former Brazilian crown, having Pedro's father, Antônio, as his immediate successor.

Instead, his younger brother, Rafael, took his place in the line of succession upon legal declaration of Pedro Luiz' death in the crash of Air France Flight 447.

[2] His name in full was Pedro Luiz Maria José Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orleans e Bragança.

[3] His paternal grandparents were Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Bragança, one of two claimants to be head of the Brazilian Imperial House, and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria.

His father António was therefore heir to the claim after his older siblings, and Pedro would, in due course, have been a claimant to the traditional headship of the Imperial House of Brazil, and the nominal Brazilian crown.

[7] He graduated in Business Administration in 2005 from IBMEC in Rio de Janeiro after matriculation in 2001, and undertook postgraduate education in economics at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas.

[3] He was in search of a suitable fiancée of royal blood, considered an obligation for the future head of the Imperial House of Brazil.

Pedro Luiz was considered by many Brazilian monarchists as the prince that gathered "all the hopes and aspirations [of restoration]" due to the "vigor of youth and the seriousness of his character".

[5] Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança and heir of the abolished Portuguese crown, affirmed: "[Pedro Luiz] is a very intelligent person.