[13] In 1521 he was present at Henry VIII's meeting with Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold and at Gravelines for the king's interview with Charles V.[1] Compton served on the Scottish borders under the Earl of Surrey in 1523, and this appears to have been the only time he was far from the court.

[1] Although he was not a politician, Compton ultimately acquired significant influence over Henry when it came to granting land and favours to the aristocracy, and made a fortune himself.

[14] His widow, Elizabeth, was still attempting to claim her jointure at the time of her second marriage to Walter Walshe, a page of the Privy chamber in November 1529,[22][23] and the matter had not been resolved by June 1538, when her father wrote to Thomas Cromwell on his daughter's behalf: "We both desire your Lordship's favour in her causes, else she is like to be wronged".

[24] A fictionalized William Compton was portrayed by Kris Holden-Ried in 2007 on the Showtime television series The Tudors, loosely based upon the reign of Henry VIII.

He was portrayed by Luke Mullins in 2019 on the Starz television series The Spanish Princess, loosely based upon the life of Catherine of Aragon.