Sir Harry swore an oath of obedience to Newport before he signed the Roll of Freeman. He said: "I deeply appreciate the honour that you've bestowed upon me. I see it as a recognition of the work of the council as a whole. "As a young boy I never imagined I would be fortunate enough to achieve such high office within the city of my birth. I've seen many changes, not least in the way the council is run. "There have been many highlights in the last 30 years. But the one that stands out is March, 2002 when we heard the news that Newport had been granted city status. That was a very proud day.